National Human Rights Commission issues notice over track safety in Kerala

Kochi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued a notice to the Railway Board over the “weak and damaged” tracks in the state. The commission asked its chairperson to constitute a team to study the issue and submit a report within four weeks. The notice was based on media reports raising questions about the safety of tracks in the wake of two derailment incidents in three weeks.

“The commission has observed that the issue, brought to its notice by Jacob Punnoose, the special rapporteur of the NHRC, is serious," it said in a statement.
"...If the reports are correct, the situation is a serious threat to the right to life of the passengers,” it added. The commission pointed out media reports that there are at least 238 spots where the tracks are either damaged or weak due to which the railways have implemented speed restrictions throughout the division.