16 February,2011 06:44 AM IST | | Arvind Walmiki and Vinod Kumar Menon
Officials cite why the metropolis has to witness a mounting number of accidents: packed trains, commuters' carelessness, and faulty structures; 46 lives have been claimed in this month so far
It wasn't a battlefield or an epidemic. But it claimed casualties with an equal vigour: a death every two hours.
On February 14, a day many reserve to celebrate love, the city prepared for 12 funerals in less than 24 hours, all resulting from rail accidents across Western, Central, and Harbour Lines.
There is more grave news. Statistics show that fatal rail accidents have peaked in the month of February. Prior to February 14, there had already been 15 deaths on February 9 and 19 on February 4.
Official estimates will have you believe that the aberrational increase in the number of railway accidents is a culmination of an extraordinary shortage of Maximum City's two most pressed dimensions: space and time.
In other words, overcrowded spaces and life on a perennial run have heralded death for Mumbaikars in transit.u00a0
Reasons
According to Railway Police Commissioner (GRP) Tukaram Chavan, packed trains during peak hours are a death trap.
Commuters risk life and soul trying to board one: leaning over, craning high, with a grip firm or lose, clutching anything the entrance to the bogey may have.
The lucky ones manage to tightrope the equilibrium. The others, who upset it, skid, slip, or miss, falling to fatal injuries or becoming a fatality themselves.
The second major cause of railway accidents is crossing railway tracks in a rush or a distracted state. Cases of accidents amongst collegians and commuters on the phone, or in overt reckless hurry, have been reported too frequently for officials to miss.
"The railway administration, including GRP and RPF, has taken many initiatives to bring down casualty figures on the track. It is a serious issue and we have brought down the number through extensive campaigns and penal action for crossing tracks," said Chavan.
Bhavesh Patel, president of Manavata, an NGO that provides assistance to railway accident victims has done extensive research on the accidents.
"One of the major reasons for rising number of accidents is hooliganism inside crowded trains.
Commuters engage in physical fights, and push passengers out of running trains. On top of that, no witnesses comes forward to complain," said Bhavesh.
Expert opinion
Enumerating more reasons, he cited improper infrastructure for the mishaps. For instance, no uniformity in the height of platforms results in commuters slipping into gaps between the train's footboard and the platform.
An insufficient numbers of foot over bridges (FOB) at many railway stations is another reason. The ones that exist have their own set of problems.
They are taken over by hawkers, who sprawl their ware, making it difficult for commuters to walk, or are in a tumbledown state.
Recommendations
Patel recommended some measures to plug the flow of fatalities resulting from these faults. Firstly, as the number of commuters has gone up extensively, the need of the hour is to have 15-coach trains instead of nine or 12.
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Secondly, the halt time of trains at every station should be 25 to 30 seconds at least, instead of the present 10 to 15 seconds.
Patel also pointed out that the new rakes with silver coating are too slippery. Many a time commuters lose balance because of sweaty palms. As such, authorities should look for an alternative.
Black Monday
Details of the 12' deaths reported on February 14, as per railway police:
Kurla railway police station: 5 deaths
Time-7.05 am
Name: Deepak Panchal (40), Chembur resident
How: Crossing tracks near station
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Time-3.10 pm
Name: Henal Gadda (17), u00a0Mulund resident
How: Fell from train between Mulund and Nahur
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Time- 4.20 pm
Name: Unknown female around u00a050 years
How: Crossing tracks between Bhandup and Nahur
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Time-4.45 pm
Name: Perimual Kaiswan (55)
How: Crossing tracks between Mulund and Nahur
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Time-6.00 pm
Name: Unknown male
How: Crossing tracks near Kurla
Mumbai Centralu00a0railway police
Time-11.10 am
Name: Unknown male (35)
How: Crossing tracks at Mumbai Central station
Wadala railway police
Time- 8.25 am
Name: Surya Prasad (35)
How: Fell down from running train at platform four at Wadala station
Thane railway police
Time 1.15 pm
Name: Unknown male (28)
How: Fell down near Mumbra station
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Time 3.10 pm
Name: Unknown male (35)
How: Fell down near Diva station
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Time-4.00 pm
Name: Dashrad Gupta (55)
How: Fell from train at Thane railway platform
Other than these, Bandra and Borivli railway police found two unknown bodies near the tracks of their respective stations.
