Will window grills fix stone throwers?

March 1: Chief minister Narayan Rane calls a meeting with the General Managers of Central and Western Railways and the Inspector Generals of Railway Police. The only possible solution mooted is the covering of all the windows on local trains with grills.

When the Chief Minister requested the railways to put up grills on all the windows on the rakes, everyone knew that it was only a partial solution to the problem. As, the majority of cases involved victims were hit when they were travelling on the footboard. The Government Railway Police has recorded 65 such cases last year, none of which have been cracked.

Therailways figured that if putting up a few grills could save at least a few lives, so be it. These grills would not only protect adults, but most importantly, go a long way in protecting children who are usually hang near train windows. 8220;The safety of children was one of the main reasons that made us go in for grills,8221; said a senior railway official.

The railways had promised the state government that the grills would be put up by the end of June, by the onset of the monsoon. The rains have landed, the grills are yet to be fixed. The only progress has been the fixing of ten rakes with grills by April 10 in a sudden spurt for initial publicity by the Central Railway. These rakes are the only ones running on the suburban section which protect passengers sitting inside. Not even one rake has been fitted completely with the grills on the Western Railway.

The grill is a small rectangular mesh which covers three bars in the middle of the window. Officials reason that the entire window was not covered becauseexperience had shown that any stone which enters the compartment usually came through the second and third bars of the window. 8220;We added an extra rod and then covered it with the mesh thereby eliminating possibility of injury,8221; CR spokeperson Mukul Marwah told Express Newsline.

The Central Railway claims that it is awaiting public response8217; to the grills that have been put up. 8220;There were some complaints that the grills were disrupting the ventilation, we were waiting for more feedback regarding this,8221; said Marwah. An even more absurd complaint was that the grills obstructed commuters who wanted to spit out of the windows!

Though the WR is yet to complete the fixing of grills on even one rake, its chief spokeperson Vinod Asthana claimed that the work would be completed within the next four months. Unlike the CR, WR plans to cover the entire window. The grills are expected to cost the railways nearly Rs 7 lakh per rake. 8220;We will have to put in nearly Rs 400 per window,8221; said Asthana.

Whatboth tha railways have done is to put up grills on the ladies compartments and first class compartments of the locals. These have in turn raised complaints of discrimination by the railways against the common commuter.

Asthana claims that work is underway at the Mahalakshmi and Kandivli workshops on these grills. However he agrees with Marwah that during the monsoon, grill fixing will take a backseat in favour of other important tasks like work on the windows and roofs of the locals. 8220;We will be able to complete it only after the monsoon,8221; said Marwah.

The railways explain that it is not possible to withdraw the rakes for fixing the grills. In a concentrated effort, one rake can be fitted with the grills within two days. A rake in a shed for two days is something railways can ill-afford, especially during the peak hours.

8220;We have always faced a shortage of rakes, even the new rakes are coming in as replacements,8221; said Y G Joshi, a leader of the National Rail Mazdoor Union. He claims that this hasbeen the reason for many rakes having to go without overhaul for the past two years. 8220;Only when the rakes fail are they taken to the shed, so it is too much to expect much in this regard from the railways,8221; he added.

However, D K Kanderia, president of the Passenger and Traffic Relief Association, blasted the railways for the delay in putting up the grills. 8220;If you do not want to dance, blame the anklets. This is the case with the railways too,8221; he said.