8/7/2019 Safety Derails on Local Trains

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c m y k c m y k

Chennai ● Thursday ● 10 February 2011

Madras Univer-sity VC to giveaway awardsGSSVJ collegefor Women.

2Mayor todistribute freecolour televi-sons at Vela-chery today.

Naresh Gupta topreside over a sem-inar on democracy,

 youth and electionsat Ethiraj College.

DC

●PASSENGERS VOICE GRIEVANCES

GEORGE ADIMATHRA

DC |CHENNAI

Feb. 9: The incident of awoman dying after havingfallen from a speeding pas-senger train in Kerala fol-lowing a confrontation withan attacker, has once againbrought to light the lack of measures in Southern Rail-way for the safety and secu-rity of rail passengers.According to most passen-gers, in Chennai division,the close monitoring of sta-tions through CCTVs mighthelp railways thwart terror-ist attacks but railways stillhas a long way to go beforeensuring the safety of acommuter in a suburban orlong distance train.

Commuters point to thelack of sufficient number of Railway Protection Force(RPF) or Government Rail-way Police (GRP) in thesuburban section betweenChennai Central–Gum-midipoondi and ChennaiCentral-Arakkonam sec-tions.

Inspector general of GRPK.C. Mahali, however,refuted this view of the pas-sengers. According to him,Chennai division is one of the safest in entire SouthernRailway and GRP, in coor-dination with RPF, is doinga fine job in maintaining thesafety and security of pas-sengers. “The introductionof a 24-hour helpline didwonders, and I can surelysay that the crime rate hascome down to a greatextent. We are vigilant andready to meet any emer-gency,” said Mr Mahali.

“Then whose fault result-

ed in the infamous Vyasa-rpadi train hijack incident?Several people died buteven after two years, there isno conclusion to the contin-uing investigation as towhat really happened andwho perpetrated it. Theauthorities have not evenintroduced the biometricsystem, declared with muchfanfare, for the safety of EMUs,” said T. Ravikumar,president, all India train andbus passengers association.

“Chennai Central-Gum-midipoondi suburban sec-tion barely sees the pres-ence of police personnel. Itis no wonder then thatwomen prefer a heavilycrowded service than theLadies Only Special. Decla-rations on making MRTSstations safe just remain onpaper as stations are fre-quented by rowdy elementsand miscreants. Numerousstations don’t even haveproper lighting. Offendersare not punished or else whyis there no reduction in thenumber of deaths? Preven-tion is always better thancure, so the authoritiesshould not wait for tragediesto happen,” said Mr Shafeek Ahmed, a daily commuter.

Safety derails

on local trains

Disciplinary committeemootedDC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Feb. 9: In wake of a privatewomen’s college studentcommitting suicide as fourfaculty members strippedher for an alleged robbery,the University of Madrashas planned to send circu-lars to all private arts andscience colleges to form adisciplinary committeewith an university represen-tative to deal student relatedissues and refrain from ‘badpractices.’

Speaking to reporters onWednesday, Prof G. Thiru-vasagam, vice-chancellor,University of Madras, saidthe university will instructall arts and science collegesaffiliated to it to constitute adisciplinary committee todeal student related issues.The vice-chancellor alsosaid that it was not properon the part of faculty toindulge in such an act.

“All government and gov-ernment aided collegeshave a disciplinary commit-tee but only a few privatearts and science collegeshave such a committee inplace. The committee willmonitor actions takenagainst students. No actioncan be taken against anystudent without the recom-mendation of the commit-tee,” he said.

The college principal willhead the committee withtwo senior professors, onesenior lady representative,besides a university nomi-nee and the head of the con-cerned department to whichthe student belongs.

When reporters askedabout MGR Janaki collegeissue, Prof Thiruvasagamsaid that he had sought for adetailed enquiry reportfrom the college, whichwas yet to reach him.

IIT researchpark opening

postponedDC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Feb. 9: The much-awaited‘formal’ inauguration of theIndian Institute of Technol-ogy Madras (IIT-M)Research Park has beenpostponed for the third timewith HRD and telecommu-nication minister KapilSibal suddenly cancellinghis trip to the city. Mr Sibalwas scheduled to ‘formally’inaugurate the researchpark in the presence of chief minister M.Karunanidhi on Feb. 11.

Though the Union minis-ter’s trip was cancelled‘officially’ on health grou-nds, sources in IIT-M saidhe might have skipped theprogramme to avoid shar-ing the dais with Mr Karu-nanidhi, especially after the2G spectrum scam. IIT-MResearch Park officiallycommunicated the cancel-lation of the programme onWednesday evening.

IIT-M sources also saidthe inaugural of theresearch park had been putoff twice before due to rea-sons known only to the topadministration. The resea-rch park commenced opera-tions in March 2010 onabout 11 acres of state gov-ernment land at Taramani.

Prime Minister Manmo-han Singh, who was todeclare the park open, can-celled his programme twicelast year. With the cancella-tion of Mr Sibal’s visit, it isexpected that the founda-tion-laying ceremony forthe Indian Institute of Infor-mation Technology (Designand Manufacturing), Kanc-hipuram, would also bepostponed.

third timelong wait

It seems like an endless wait for these rail commuters, as they stand in a queue that spills out onto the

road, from the ticket counter of the Guindy railway station .  — DC

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Feb. 9: The much-politi-cised Adyar Poonga is nowreceiving the attention of more migratory birds,thanks to the rainwater har-vesting system carriedthrough stormwater drainnetwork filling the lake levelin the park. However, throw-ing of plastic waste by a f ewa residents in the vicinityhas worried the park author-ities forcing them to carryout a door-to-door wastecollection in the neighbour-hoods of Adyar Poonga.

According to Mr J.T. RexVaz, education officer,Adyar Poonga, talks are

underway with Neel MetalFanalca to initiate door-to-door garbage collectionprocess. As per the corpora-tion contract, NMF should

collect waste from everyhousehold and to ensureclean ambience, the drivewill be taken to residentialareas near the Poonga, he

said.Awareness programmes

for school children andscreening of films based onwildlife and nature will beheld at the Poonga to impartknowledge on environment,he said. Besides signaturecampaigns and weekend ral-lies comprising naturelovers and youngsters arealso planned.

Speaking about the biodiversity of the poonga, park workers admitted that thesaplings planted in the park are coming up well and thepresence of abundant fish inthe poonga has made theplace a favourite habitat formigratory birds, sourcesadded.

Winged visitors throng Poonga

 An aerial view of the Adyar Poonga  —DC

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