Late in the evening of June 2nd, the unsuspecting town of Balasore in Odisha was shaken by a catastrophic rail accident. As the news of the disaster unfolded, the public was unaware of the devastation that lay in its wake. The first responders and concerned departments of Indian Railways, on the other hand, faced an impending challenge of colossal proportions.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promptly arrived at the site, within mere hours of the accident. As he navigated the scene, Vaishnaw dove deep into understanding the technicalities of the accident and supervised the rescue and relief operations. An anonymous senior official remarked on Vaishnaw’s proactive approach, “The minister always asks, ‘What’s the next step?’ and ‘What’s our plan?’ and this situation was no different.”
There was an elaborate plan in place, carefully crafted to ensure maximum utilization of available human resources. The singular focus of the operation was to save lives, provide immediate medical assistance to the injured, and clear the train line for service resumption.
“A structure of eight teams, each comprised of nearly 70 members, was set up to manage the crisis,” a senior railway ministry source in formed ANI. This workforce was led by Senior Section Engineers (SSE) and supervised by a DRM and a GM of Railways, who were themselves overseen by a member of the Railway Board. This workforce from the Ministry of Railways tirelessly undertook the task of train track repair, which required significant technical expertise.
However, the scope of this colossal operation was not limited to the disaster site. Another major concern was to provide seamless support for the patients admitted to local hospitals. Consequently, the Chairman of the Railway Board was stationed at a hospital in Cuttack while the DG Health was dispatched to a hospital in Bhubaneswar, to ensure optimal relief for passengers undergoing treatment.
Emphasizing the need for comprehensive relief, another senior official stated, “The instructions were very clear – the rescue and relief operation on the ground is critical, but so is the comfort of those in hospital. That’s why senior officials were dispatched to oversee the situation.”
In tandem with the on-ground operations, a war room was set up at the Ministry of Railways headquarters in New Delhi, where senior officials closely monitored the unfolding situation. “Four cameras streamed live feeds from the accident site. This information was constantly reviewed by a high-ranking officer and relayed in real-time to the minister and his team,” a source explained.
For Vaishnaw, an experienced bureaucrat turned politician, disaster management was not new territory. He had successfully navigated a super cyclone crisis as a district collector in Balasore in 1999.
The operation also ensured the well-being of those working relentlessly on the ground. Measures were taken to prevent burnout among the teams, who were laboring under taxing conditions and sweltering weather. A team coordinator confirmed that regular breaks and hydration were ensured for all the teams.
It was not until late Sunday night, when the up line became functional again, that the dedicated team allowed themselves a moment of respite. Vaishnaw, who had been on the ground for an exhausting 51 hours, bowed his head in a silent prayer of gratitude. With his hands folded, the relief etched on his face mirrored the sentiments of his entire team who had worked tirelessly to restore order in the aftermath of the tragedy.
