Kochi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday asked the Railways to submit in detail a report on rectification activities to ensure track safety post the Karukutty and Karunagapally derailment mishaps. This after its officials had admitted there were weak or defective rail portions (rail fracture) detected at many parts from time to time. NHRC member Justice Cyriac Joseph held a sitting at the Ernakulam Guest House on Thursday in which divisional railway managers of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad along with senior officials were asked to be present in person.
The sitting was held based on a complaint filed by Dejo Kappen, president, ‘Pothu Gathagatha Samrakshana Samiti’, on the alleged lapse of railways in ensuring the safety of tracks. The issue was also brought to its notice by Jacob Punnoose, the special rapporteur, NHRC. “The documents sought include a report on action taken pursuant to the derailment mishaps, un-rectified defects still in existence, copy of the report of the Accident Inquiry Committee and that of the report sent by the senior section engineer in the Karukutty incident,” Justice Joseph said.
The purpose was to ensure that the railways have a system for periodic testing of the tracks and to ensure its proper maintenance. The authorities admitted the report of the Southern Railway Engineers Association that 202 cracks were detected in Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section. “The rail fracture is a common problem, and we’ve a system in place to rectify the weak or defective rails like the use of ultrasound flow detection machines and regular checking of tracks,” said a senior officer.
The Railways submitted before the commission that it had switched over to stricter norms when it comes to maintenance of rail tracks which has resulted in the high number of fracture cases. Now two minor defects detected in a four-meter distance is enough to treat it as a major error and indulge in measures like track replacement unlike the case earlier when only temporary repair works were carried out for such faults detected, it told NHRC.
