For the second time in the last one week, slabs weighing nearly 20 kg, used for covering the signal and telecommunication cables by the side of the tracks, were found on the MRTS tracks between Perungudi and Taramani station on Tuesday night. Commuters termed it to be the outcome of poor patrolling.
On August 31, an MRTS train ran over a few cement slabs kept on the tracks between Velachery and Perungudi. It was only after this incident that the railway staff noticed more such slabs and alerted the senior railway officials. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) visited the spot and initiated an enquiry.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night around 8 p.m, an alert MRTS loco pilot stopped the train upon seeing the cement blocks on the railway tracks between the Perungudi and Taramani MRTS stations. “A few trains had already run over few slabs. However, the slabs would not have caused any impact on the running of trains,” said an RPF officer.
A case has been registered under section 151 of the Railway Act (damage to or destruction of certain railway properties) in connection with Tuesday’s incident. “We are viewing this incident very seriously as it is happening for the second time. We suspect that some drunkard would be involved in the incident,” said an RPF officer.
However, senior GRP officers felt that some miscreants would have tried to take away the slabs to remove the iron rods in them.
Commuters felt that this incident is a reflection of negligence on the part of GRP and RPF. “They should install CCTV in all stations. As the tracks are on an elevated level, we can easily find out who is getting down the platform and walking on the tracks,” said R. Boopalan, a commuter and social activist. A senior RPF officer said that they will deploy plainclothes persons on the Velachery-Mylapore section along with a dog squad.
“The presence of Tasmac shops between Taramani and Perungudi is a big problem as some anti-social elements are taking shelter in the sprawling railway stations,” said an official.
