Mumbai: Railway cops learn to manoeuvre through floodwater

The training in progress at GIP railway dam and lake, Ambernath

Mumbai's railway police are being trained to manoeuvre through floodwater aboard motorboats to rescue stranded train passengers. Officers were given training at the GIP railway dam and lake in Ambernath.

This year, as part of the monsoon preparations, Central Railway has procured five boats, while Western Railway is in the process of getting eight boats. Also, CR and WR are expecting 80 life jackets each along with other necessary equipment by May-end. A special RPF Flood Rescue Team has also been formed this year.

"On May 11, a learning and practice session was organised for the RPF Flood Rescue Team at GIP dam and lake at Ambernath. A trained commando team of Mumbai division and rescue teams formed at Thane and Badlapur posts participated. Teams of government railway police, local police, Ambernath fire brigade and all such agencies were present during the practice session," a senior official said.

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The drill involved practising assembling, dissembling and operating motorboats for rescue of stranded citizens.

The rescue teams came into the picture two years back when more than 1,000 passengers onboard Mumbai-Kolhapur Express were stranded at Badlapur station following very heavy rainfall

The rescue teams came into the picture two years back when more than 1,000 passengers onboard Mumbai-Kolhapur Express were stranded at Badlapur station following very heavy rainfall. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had to be called for their rescue.

CR formed a 15-member flood rescue team in January 2020 and the NDRF was supposed to train the members who were then to be deployed at vulnerable locations during monsoon that year. However, the pandemic paralysed the entire country.