The nationwide lockdown for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic has caused another problem for the Western Railway (WR). The officials have informed that the encroachment along the tracks has increased numerously.
Due to this, the WR has initiated a three-month-long move to remove over 1,000 encroachments along its tracks. The officials said that there is a fewer Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel deployed on the suburban network owing to the nationwide lockdown which has been imposed since March 25.
The less surveillance on tracks has led to more encroachment along the tracks of the WR. The suburban network has several areas where the walls, boundaries are broken and not present. It also has encroachments due to which it has become easy for unauthorised passengers to board the local trains which are only meant for essential staff.
The boarding of local trains by general passengers and unauthorised travellers posses could hamper the fight against COVID-19 as the coronavirus could spread easily. According to a report published in The Indian Express, the officials informed that the dumping of garbage on tracks where the encroachment is more has also become a cause of concern.
However, the WR intends to do away with these problems by undertaking systematic removal of encroachment along the tracks. Earlier, the WR has demolished encroachments between Bandra, Vile Parle and other close-by stations.
During the course of three months from July and September, the WR aims to remove over 1,000 encroachment structures between Borivali and Virar. Moreover, the structures between Kandivali and Malad will also be demolished and the residents will be relocated.
Since the WR is running fewer trains as compared to normal times, the officials want to use this opportunity to ensure cleaner railway premises. Meanwhile, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced that a total of 350 train services will run on the WR from July 1.
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