Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has launched a comprehensive drive to prevent mishaps involving cattle and enhance the safety of railway operations.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has taken proactive measures including engaging with local communities, sensitising train crews and identifying vulnerable locations prone to accidents of domestic as well as wild animals.
In order to engage local communities in the safety drive, the ECoR has organised counselling sessions for villagers, highlighting preventative measures to keep cattle away from railway tracks. Safety seminars and propaganda campaigns in villages have been conducted to educate residents about the dangers of allowing animals to roam near the train tracks.
The villagers have been advised against dumping of food waste along the railway tracks as it attracts animals leading to accidents.
Since the campaign was launched in 2021, the ECoR has conducted a 2,492 awareness drives. The authorities have registered 17 cases and apprehended six persons in connection with these incidents in the current year.
The RPF has begun conducting awareness campaign in sensitive areas along train routes, urging the residents to ensure that animals are not allowed to roam unattended near the tracks. It has made it clear that negligence on the part of cattle owners could result in legal consequences.
