No lessons learnt, residents continue to risk life

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 22

City residents don’t seem to have learnt a lesson from the colossal loss in the Amritsar train tragedy on October 19 (Dasehra). Putting their lives at risk, thousands of residents living in the Janta Nagar colony and adjacent areas cross railway tracks every day without any care.

They can be spotted crossing railway tracks at any hour of the day.

During a visit by the Bathinda Tribune team on Monday, it was found that many people cross the railways tracks in front of moving trains. There are some who dare to cross the railways tracks through a moving train (moving at a slow speed). There is barely any check on it by the concerned authorities.

Shockingly, a group of people were crossing the railway tracks when a moving train was just a few meters away from them.

When asked as to why they risked their lives, they said in the absence of a foot-overbridge (FOB) they do not have any other alternative.

Chuni Lal, a resident of the Janta Nagar colony, said, “We have two options, either we cross the railway tracks in front of the residential area or we walk all along the tracks covering a distance of around 2 km till we reach the canal area and then cross the tracks from underbridge. No sensible person would do that. And if the government or authorities are genuinely concerned about our safety then they must construct an overbridge in our area. At present, we do not have any other option but to cross the track, risking our lives to reach our destinations.”

In-charge of the Railway Protection Force, inspector Jagraj Singh said, “We establish check-posts in different areas where crossing of railway tracks by residents is rampant. To deter them, we also issue challans and even arrest violators. We have issued more than 400 challans in the past six months. We also spread awareness in this regard.”