These stats will scare you: 435 deaths in the last one year due to fatal accidents and suicides on the railway tracks.
However, the Government Railway Police (GRP) officials claim that they are helpless as the dearth of ambulance constricts them to reach the spot independently in time.
“There have been many instances wherein the victim is lying injured and the delay in arranging an ambulance has cost his life,” GRP police inspector Mahendra Rokade told DNA.
Presently, the process that the GRP officials has to follow is that after being reported about an accident on the railway premises, they have to call a hospital for an ambulance that reaches the spot after weaving its way through heavy city traffic. According to Rokade, this delay and dependency on a third party disrupts their work process to a large extent.
“If we have a vehicle of our own for the purpose, then reaching the spot and taking care of the situation would have been much easier and efficient,” Rokade said. The GRP official said that he has been following up the matter with the higher authorities for two years, but in vain.
“The authorities shy away from the responsibility of saving lives by sanctioning us Rs700 for each death. However, the need of the hour is an ambulance or a similar vehicle that can run on tracks,” he said.
According to him, there have been instances where the accident spot is between two stations, and hence it is difficult for the ambulance to travel to the spot. “On many occasion we have to manpower the exercise, where we have to walk to the spot and carry the body back to the ambulance. If a vehicle that can run on tracks with the facilities of an ambulance is provided, then the problem can be tackled in a better way. Instead of carrying the body to the ambulance, which could be a kilometre away from the tracks, we can use this vehicle that can run on track.”
Railways superintendent of police (Pune) Abdur Rahman said, “Looking at the high rate of run over accidents that the city has been witnessing, the authorities should immediately sanction funds for a separate ambulance or vehicle.”
However, divisional railway manager (DRM), Pune, Vishal Agarwal said that there is no policy in the railways to provide the GRP with ambulance for the purpose.
