Berhampur: Railway tracks in south Odisha have turned into deathtraps as over 170 persons have lost their lives on railway tracks during the last four years, a report said.
The Government Railway Police Station (GRP) in Berhampur has registered 269 cases on unnatural death in the last four years.
Among the deceased, many died after slipping down from the trains while some others committed suicide or were mowed down by trains while crossing the railway tracks.
As a result, the railway tracks have turned out to be biggest claimants of precious human lives in the past four years. The deaths are mainly caused due to negligence of people.
Reports said Berhampur Railways Station is the largest railway station in south Odisha with over 70 trains plying daily through the station.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railways Protection Force (RPF) have been engaged to look after the security of the passengers and other persons visiting the railway station.
The jurisdiction of the GRP spreads up to a distance of 120 km, starting from Chilika in Khurda district, via Ganjam and Gajapati districts to Gunupur in Rayagada district.
Many a people have died on the railway tracks passing through the jurisdiction of GRP in Berhampur. The GRP has registered 269 cases of unnatural deaths between 2018 and 2021.
Over 73 unnatural death cases were registered in 2018 out of which 62 persons died either due to slipping down from the train or while crossing the railway tracks.
Over 67 unnatural death cases were registered in 2019 out of which 43 persons died after slipping down from the train or while crossing the railway tracks Over 57 unnatural death cases were registered in 2020, out of which 24 died either by slipping down from the train or while crossing the railway tracks.
As many as 72 cases of unnatural deaths were registered in 2021 in which 41 persons lost their lives on the tracks.
Among them, nine persons have committed suicide on the tracks and 29 persons were mowed down by speeding trains while crossing the railway tracks and three persons died after slipping down from train.
The railway department is regularly sensitising the passengers through posters and leaflets urging them to not stand or sit near the doors of train carriages while travelling. However, hardly does anyone pay heed to it.
As a result, passengers often slip down from moving trains and die on the tracks. Moreover, railway tracks have become an easy place for people wishing to commit suicide.
When contacted, Jyoti Prakash Nayak, IIC, GRP station said that the more the people will become aware the accident-related deaths will reduce in the state.
PNN