With train blockade becoming a norm over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue in Tamil Nadu, Centre on Wednesday warned of danger of electrocution and appealed to protesters to desist from climbing atop train or coming near high voltage electric lines.
Such acts were also punishable under the Indian Railway Act, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release said.
Referring to attempts by persons to climb the engines running on electrified lines, it said such lines had 25000 volts of power and there was a possibility of persons suffering electric shock when they were in the vicinity of two metres of such lines.
“There are chances that persons climbing the engine tops could come under electric shock. Further, power runs through one line even if another is switched off. It is, therefore, requested that during protests, climbing on the roof of trains and coming near power lines be avoided,” it said.
Protesters opposed to India’s participation in last week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka had resorted to rail blockade as part of their protests.
