Mumbai: Western Railway is resorting to drones to avoid disruption of local train operations during monsoon. Through these drones, Western Railway is monitoring the drains in and around the tracks, so that if there is any chance of water filling during the rains, then it is removed as soon as possible to prevent it from going on the tracks.
In the drone video, it can be seen how the drains between the Western Railway tracks are being monitored. The drain is clearly visible in this video and the water continues to flow out of the same path. The Western Railway is monitoring the Borivali and Virar sections similarly through drone cameras, as these two sections are prone to flooding during the rains. To monitor the drains through drones, Western Railway has set up two teams that have been formed, which keep a constant watch.
The drone being kept by the Western Railway over the drains also seems to be beneficial. If there is a choke-up somewhere with drone monitoring, then it is cleaned immediately. The drains of the areas around the railway premises come under the BMC, so if there is some problem, BMC takes immediate action with the help of the railways. Not only this, but people are also unwilling to throw garbage in the railway premises due to the fear of being captured in the drone camera.
Officials explained that the ARGs will notify them of heavy rain while also giving a warning of potential waterlogging on railway tracks. Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer at WR said, “Through this system, we will be able to monitor rainfall measurement without human intervention, online and on a real-time basis as machines will transmit data directly to our control room. We will take action immediately if any problem occurs and by collaborating with the authorities of these areas, required help and action will be put in place.”
As for preparedness measures, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has trained the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and the Flood Rescue Team (FRT) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Officials said that five mechanised rescue boats have been deployed with strategic positioning bracing for any scenario.
As a result of this, even when the traffic on Central Railway and roads came to a standstill last week due to torrential rains, trains were running normally on Western Railway. Central Railway is also preparing to introduce heavy-duty water pumps starting June 2021 to allow quick draining of stormwater and consequently ensure the uninterrupted functioning of railway services.
In fact, during the monsoon for the last 3 years, the Borivali and Virar sections of Western Railway used to get waterlogged on the tracks due to a few minutes of rain, which directly affected the local and it came to a standstill. Learning a lesson from this, Western Railway is trying to take every step this year, so that the operation of local trains remains on track.