Indian Railways
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A Bi-monthly newsletter of CUTS Safety Watch BNo.3/2004 EWARE Indian Railways --- Safe Enough? ny technology, whether railway, power supply or In his budget speech, he promised to bring down the number of A aviation cannot attain 100 per cent safety. - reacted R N consequential train accidents per million train km. Malhotra, former Railway Board Chairman. This is regarding A Special Railway Safety Fund (SRSF) of Rs. 17000 cr was the accident that occurred when Mangalore-Kurla created in 2002-2003 to wipe out arrears in renewal of over Matsyagandha Express jumped off the rails killing 20 people aged assets viz: track, bridges, rolling stock and signalling and injuring several others due to loose boulders falling on to gear besides safety enhancement work, over a six year period. the track. The obvious question comes to one's mind is Though the minister claims that considerable progress has whether to keep our fingers crossed while taking train rides. been made in the execution of works sanctioned under this Incidentally last year the Mumbai - Karwar Express fund, no activity report has been made public. toppled off the track after hitting boulders on the same Incidentally Indian Railways have published a White Konkan Railway zone and claimed nearly 52 Paper on Safety (WPS) in 2003. The document lives. The route proves to be prone to frequent explains activities that are to be taken up by the landslides and a decision was taken to install authorities to maintain a high level of safety. A metal mesh net to avoid accidents due to falling host of technical upgradations have been done in boulders on to the tracks. The recent accident consonance with the above document, in the revealed that a long stretch in the Roha region Indian Railways including the Konkan route. was left, causing the derailment. However what is disconcerting is that in Many of us may recall some other major train spite of installing state-of-thaart safety services disasters in recent years: about 400 people were along the route, accidents continue to occur. feared killed when two express trains collided The lack of true accountability of the head-on at the Gaisal railway station in 1999. In Railways on the issue of safety needs to be 2002, 100 passengers were killed while the urgently addressed. More often than not the most prestigious Rajdhani Express plunged into the Dhave report of the Railway commission on the probes on accident River, resulting from the fragile condition of the bridges. cases gather dust. Even when 'small' rail accidents (e.g. None of these should be overlooked in any systemic attempt unmanned level crossings) possibly claim so many lives, a to enhance safety. serious introspection is required to explore the lacunae in the " Safety" or "Economy"--- The choice will obviously be the system and attempt should be made to prevent them at the former for all of us. Even our new railway minister Laloo Prasad earliest. As a safety measure, pilot engines could be run in the Yadav emphasises the need to strengthen the safety norms of vulnerable zones before any passenger or goods trains take Indian Railways and lack of funds should not come in the way. the route. Some Major Train Tragedies IN THIS ISSUE Traffic Cops with a l February, 1975: 43 people died and 74 l March, 2001: A crowded commuter Healing Touch ...................2 were hurt when a train hit the end of a cul- train has collided head on with an de-sac tunnel at Moorgate Underground empty train in central Belgium, leaving Prevention is Better station in central London, UK. at least eight people dead. Than Cure ..........................3 l January, 1977: Australia's worst-ever l September, 2001: A collision between Danger of Air railway disaster claimed. 83 lives when a a passenger train and a locomotive has Freshners ..........................3 commuter train derailed and crashed killed at least 31 people and injured into the pillars of a bridge bringing it dozens on the Indonesian Island of Java. down on top of the train in Granville, l April, 2004: At least 3,000 people were Sydney. killed or injured when two trains, l August, 1995: 400 people killed as carrying oil and liquefied petroleum Puroshottam Express, rams into Kalindi gas, collided and exploded in a North Consumer Unity & Trust Society Express near Firozabad railway station in Korean train station near the Chinese Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Uttar Pradesh. border. Website: www.cuts-international.org Subscription Rs.50/ per annum New Tool for Road Safety of Surgeons. The Cosmetics to dye for? Prevention is Better than Cure condemning the tests as an apparent distraction is 30%. A study done in The Geographical Kerala treatment is divided into The US Food and Drug In Dubai a 12 year girl died for attempt to make tobacco more appealing Australia reveals that 58% of drivers Accident Management System five parts - control of Administration (FDA) does not using a SAFA mineral water bottle to young people, and labelled it as in the age group 17 to 29 read text (GeoKams), developed as part of the airway, stabilising the require safety data on ingredients for a protracted period of 16 'appalling'. A BAT spokesman however messages or SMS while driving, Road Safety Engineering Initiatives cervical spine, circulation used in beauty and personal-care months. The plastic expectedly dismissed the notion that the where obviously the distraction for the World Bank-funded Kerala and control of external products such. This weakness on the (polyethylene terephthalate company aimed to attract children with level is much higher. State Transport and Kerala Police haemorrhage, disability part of the government has allowed or PET) used in these bottles new flavourings. (ET, 16.05.04 & SMH, 10.06.04) Project by Technopark-based IBS and neurological the industry to market cosmetics and contains a potentially (ET, 03.06.04) Software Services, is to facilitate assessment, and the right environment to personal-care products with carcinogenic element - diethyl- Reliablity of Codex Standards! efficient recording and analysis of prevent hypothermia. ingredients whose safety is unclear hydroxylamine or DEHA. Using Mobile while Driving - Unsafe ! One big obsession of 'lazy' accident data in the coming days, (TOI, 17.05.04) says a report released by the The bottles are safe for one-time A huge controversy is raging across the Indian authorities responsible for the lack of which has been the bane Environmental Working Group, the use only. In case of bare necessity, it world, over whether the use of mobile regulating pesticides is to take refuge of traffic planners & safety experts in Strategy for Safe Singapore Roads Breast Cancer Fund and other could be used at the most for one phones while driving is an unsafe in standards set by the Codex India. In Singapore, police currently rely on public-interest groups. week. They must be kept away from practice. Though many Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The Geographical Information speed cameras at designated locations, Examination of 77 such products, heat as well. Repeated washing and countries across the But standards set by Codex are System (GIS)-enabled system will be hand-held radar guns and laser cameras, primarily hair dyes and shampoos, rinsing causes the plastic to break economic spectrum comparatively lenient than those set able to capture information about a mounted laser cameras on overpasses, revealed that every third product down causing carcinogens to leak (including India) have by some individual countries road accident occurring at any place etc. in their bid to stop speeding, but to no contains one or more ingredients into drinking water. So it is advisable banned such usage, the themselves. CAC admits that they and its impact. The accident data effect. The number of tickets issued for classified by the government as to invest into multiple use water controversy refuses to depend, entirely, on the data can be plotted on digital maps and speeding has risen sharply, from 35,361 possibly cancer-causing. bottles. die down. Proponents supplied by the manufacturers of the software has the capability for in- in 2002 to 48,667 last year. And in the Little research is available to (DTE, 31.05.04) of the cell-phone assert that it is a vital chemicals. More over, no one depth GIS-enabled analysis. Colour first three months of this year alone, more document the safety or health risks productivity tool in the modern day world bothers about adverse effects of coding has been provided to than 13,000 motorists were booked for of low-dose repeated exposures to Choco-'Puffs' and " being in touch", even during the chemicals, discovered after initial indicate the severity of accidents to speeding. chemical mixtures like those in If your children are fond of couple of hours of driving time each day, approval, and it is up to 'honest' enable the law enforcement All traffic police motorcycles will now be personal-care products, but the chicken puffs and vegetable puffs, is very important. They allege that manufacturers to withdraw the same agencies to redeploy personnel to fitted with radar guns that allow cops to absence of data should never be do go ahead and indulge them. But sufficient research has not been on their own. the priority areas and to monitor and nab speeding motorists almost instantly. mistaken for proof of safety. the moment you hear they are fond conducted to dub the mobile phone a In this era of industrially take corrective steps to curb This means speeding drivers will not have However, any safety testing and of chocolate 'puffs' or villain. If the 'hand-held' mobile is the processed packaged food, accidents.