BHUBANESWAR: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday advised East Coast Railway (ECoR) authorities to use railway station areas as shelter for people who have been badly affected by cyclone Fani.
The ECoR authorities have been asked to keep drinking water, charging points, neat and clean washrooms ready and utilise empty places for shelter of affected people.
Reviewing the post-cyclone restoration of railway establishment and resumption of train services, Pradhan suggested to take immediate steps for proper cleaning and housekeeping at Puri, Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road railway stations besides the areas near the approach roads to the stations. He was briefed about pre-cyclone steps taken by Railways including evacuation of tourists by special trains as well as post-cyclone restoration process at various stations in Khurda Road division.
Pradhan also appreciated the disaster management planning and action taken by railway authorities in the hour of crisis. “Railways should also keep in mind the upcoming Rath Yatra at Puri and make proper preparations as the major load of incoming and outgoing devotees and tourists to Puri would fall on Railways,” he said. East Coast Railway General Manager Vidya Bhusan and other senior level railway officials were present.
ECoR’s effective disaster management
Bhubaneswar: While several Government agencies in the State are reeling under the impact of cyclone Fani, the disaster management by East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been noteworthy. ECoR officials said stress on phase-wise clearance of rail lines in affected areas and resuming the main Line connecting Howrah and Chennai helped them deal with the situation without causing much inconvenience to passengers.
Running passenger trains eight hours before the cyclone also helped ECoR in giving relief to passengers who had booked tickets four months in advance. Pooling resources of nearby divisions and other Railway Zones helped ECoR collect restoration materials such as cement and sand bags, water tanks and tarpaulins at the earliest. The officials said ECoR’s has also provided a month’s salary in advance and that too in cash to its staff in Puri and Khurda Road. As per the action plan, train services to Puri have resumed.