Stations must be able to withstand monsoon fury

Central Railway has kept boats ready for monsoon emergencies at five stations of the city

Central Railway's Mumbai division has kept boats ready for monsoon emergencies at five city stations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Matunga, Kurla, Thane and Badlapur, a report said in this paper, A dedicated Railway Flood Rescue team, comprising 14 personnel, has received training from the National Disaster Response Force in Pune and will be deployed in flood-prone areas. They will be equipped with five inflatable rescue boats to assist in rescue operations.

While all monsoon preparedness measures are welcome, we have to get our basics right at all Mumbai stations, whichever line.

Ensure every platform has a roof so that water does not drip onto passengers below. The roof must offer full coverage so that people do not push and shove in one part of the platform, which is very dangerous during peak rush hour.

We must see that every station has good lighting. During the monsoon, we witness overcast skies and falling visibility as early as dusk, so good lighting is essential.

We also need good walking surfaces on platforms and no debris must be stored on them. Prominent signage pointing to entries and exits and various roads, escalators and ticket counters is a good idea.

This is because, as mentioned previously, visibility is problematic in the monsoon and this is hugely helpful in a challenging, difficult period.

Good quality announcements, which can be heard and understood over the general din, will lead to less confusion, and more clarity and spell fewer calamities overall. Take into account that the sound of rain may drown out announcements with poor decibel levels, so the system must be sharp and the announcer has to be very clear and concise. Boats are one more tool in our arsenal but all these other factors mean a solid ‘non-slip' (pun intended) foundation.