New Delhi: To avoid disruption and electrocution incidents, Indian Railways has issued advisory urging people to restrict themselves from flying kites near railway traction lines during New Year and upcoming Sankranti festival.
According to railway officials, it has been reported that several kite flyers got electrocuted while playing near Overhead Electric Traction in the Railway premises including yards and tracks nearby civil localities.
The commonly used Chinese-imported kite threads are good conductors of electricity, posing significant risks to both human life and critical railway electrical infrastructure, the railway official said.
“During the previous Sankranti festival, cases were reported in several zones of Indian Railways, wherein individuals have suffered electric shocks or have been electrocuted after coming in contact with kite threads entangled in 25KV traction overhead conductors,” senior railway officials said.
Elaborating on the issue, A Sridhar, chief public relations officer, South Central Railway, said, “In this regard, South Central Railway earnestly solicits the co-operation of the public and avoid flying kites near Railway tracks as the overhead lines are charged with high voltage electricity and cause a great risk to human life when in contact.”
Notably, authorities are advised to report sightings of kite threads hanging from overhead conductors to ensure that the threads are safely removed by trained personnel.
Meanwhile, a meeting on safety review and punctuality of trains was held, which was attended by six divisions, namely Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntakal, Guntur, and Nanded. In the meeting, officials were instructed to intensify field inspections focusing on functioning of safety related assets and station assets. Discussion were also held on implementation of the Railway Board safety guidelines and advisory. The Railways is taking various steps for the safety of train operation.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, chief public relations officer, Northeast Frontier Railway said the commendable effort is the result of sustained awareness programmes and meetings conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the enthusiasm of the local communities, who voluntarily undertook the task of fencing at their own cost.
The unique example of community policing highlights the importance of building trust and collaboration between the railways and local communities. This approach not only addresses safety concerns but also sets an example for other regions to follow, Sharma said.
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