TIRUCHY: When train services resumed, though partially, many were relieved that they will not be tied down to a place any longer. But their relief has now given way to paranoia.
Special daily trains from Chengalpattu, the district that has gained the notorious sobriquet of a Covid hot spot, thanks to its proximity to Chennai, have stoked fear among people. Local residents in Tiruchy fear a spurt in infection rates as this daily special train service, started on June 12, would bring more passengers from the three major Covid hotspots —Chennai, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram.
Their fear is not totally unjustified as till now, Chengalpattu has reported 1,602 active cases with 24 deaths, Chennai has 14, 667 active cases with 347 deaths and Kancheepuram has 291 cases with seven deaths. But most of Tiruchy’s 46 active cases have been reported during the past five days, coinciding with the resumed train services
“We heard that a majority of the cases reported in Tiruchy were Chennai returnees. In such a situation, the new train will bring in more passengers from the hot spot. The number of cases, which was in single digit, increased only after passengers started arriving with e-pass, either by road or train,” Ramamurthy, a Tiruchy resident, said.
Even auto and cab drivers waiting at the Tiruchy junction are hesitant to ferry passengers coming from the Chennai zone. Murugan, an auto driver, said, “There is always a risk in taking passengers from any place. But the risk is greater when they are from Chennai.” Moreover, sources said, regular thermal screening or swab tests are not being done on passengers arriving by the Chengalpattu-Tiruchy special train.
The fear has now spread even among hotels in the city. Jothi Ramalingam, who works at a hotel near Tiruchy railway junction, said, "We fear to host passengers alighting the train from Chengalpattu because cases are rising in the Chennai region."
Giving voice to the fear of residents of the Rockfort city, activists have appealed to the Union Ministers of Railways and Health to suspend the train services. "No doubt passengers are being screened for fever at the boarding and destination stations. But unlike air and road travel, trains bring hundreds of people, and any lapse could prove dear. Also, the process will stretch the resources of the district administration. We appeal to the Railways to suspend services till coronavirus is brought under control in Chennai and Chengalpattu," said Dr N Jamaluddin, former member of the State Consumer Protection Council.
On the flip side, a few activists felt the trains should continue. "There is indeed a risk in running trains between Chengalpattu and Tiruchy. The Railways must intensify cleaning of toilets and other surfaces that are likely to be touched by passengers. The number of passengers allowed in a coach can be reduced," suggested S Pushpavanam, secretary, Tamil Nadu Consumer Protection Council.
Railway officials, however, said that special trains were being operated at the behest of the State government. "We screen passengers for fever and allow only those who have an e-pass issued by the government. At the destination point, the respective district administrations would monitor passengers in home quarantine," an official explained.
Poor patronage
The trains, too, have been running with less than 40 per cent occupancy, either due to fear or because of the difficulty in getting an e-pass. Four special trains introduced from June 1 -- on the Coimbatore - Mayiladuthurai, Coimbatore - Katpadi, Villupuram - Madurai and Tiruchy - Nagercoil sections -- have been running with very few passengers.
The Tiruchy - Chengalpattu and Arakkonam - Coimbatore special trains, which were introduced on June 12, also have poor patronage. Two trains between Chengalpattu and Tiruchy, via chord line and mainline, have reported less than 30 per cent occupancy. For the next 10 days, over 95 per cent of the tickets remain unsold on both the trains. The Arakkonam - Coimbatore special also has low patronage.
The State has been divided into eight zones and e-pass is required for inter-zone travel. "A large chunk of passengers are not aware of the procedures involved in getting e-pass for travelling by train. Only those who have a necessity are using train services," a senior railway official said.
Ever since the train services resumed, several migrant labourers arrived at Katpadi and Arakkonam stations without e-passes. On Tuesday, over 30 labourers from Coimbatore arrived at Arakkonam without e-pass and were quarantined at a marriage hall. "Migrant labourers have been sent for institutional quarantine. The locals who arrived without e-pass were assisted by the district authorities at stations and sent to home quarantine," official sources said.
(With inputs from Chennai)