Baripada: Local people detained a train for over 7 hours in protest against Indian Railways’ indifference towards their plight due to faulty design of an underpass in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj on Sunday.
According to sources, the underpass at Badamouda under Gorumahisani police limits in the district is used by the local villagers but also the people of adjacent villages. But in rainy season, the underpass is filled with 5 feet water making it unusable.
Due to heavy rainfall for the last 2 days, the underpass almost got submerged. While the communication from Badamouda to outside virtually got snapped, the Railway authorities did not open a gate nearby, further aggravating their problem.
Agitated over the difficulties, hundreds of villagers staged a dharna on railway tracks near Gorumahisani station. The Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU train coming on the track was detained for the dharna.
The villagers alleged that they had brought the issue to the notice of Gorumahisani station master and divisional railway manager (DRM) in Chakradharpur. They had also submitted a written memorandum to them demanding rectification of the underpass and opening of the railway gate.
Stating that it has been a recurring problem in monsoon every year since the underpass was constructed, they lamented that the authorities continue to pay no heed to their demand.
On being informed about the villagers’ dharna, senior Railway officials, Rairangpur SDPO Gokulananda Sahu and police force went to the spot. After they assured the agitating villagers of taking up the matter with higher officials, the dharna was withdrawn and the MEMU train left the place.
