Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway has launched a sensitisation and an awareness drive to discourage the general public and the younger generation in particular from taking selfies along the railway tracks or in trains.
Resorting to such life-threatening acts could invite trouble. “Railways will counsel but if the measures fail, the person could be liable for prosecution under the Railways Act,” said sources in ECoR.
The campaign will be spread across all forms of media outlets.
The craze for selfie:
Taking selfie has transformed into a national obsession over the years, with people, mostly the youngsters, taking a selfie in every conceivable location possible. Railway tracks and properties haven’t been spared either by this selfie generations.
Mishaps:
In May this year, three people were crushed to death while clicking selfie on a railway track near Panipat in Haryana.
In January 2017, a student near Jharsuguda town died after coming in contact with overhead electric wires while taking selfie atop a freight train.
“Trains move faster than they appear to be and can reach sooner than we think. Apart from this, the overhead equipment is charged with very high voltage of electricity in the portion close to the roof of the train or train engine. Be careful … Human life is more precious – Don’t risk your life by taking a selfie on the train or near the rail line,” the statement issued by ECoR said.
The statement added that youngsters are found to often ignore repeated horns by the locomotive pilots while clicking selfie along the railway track, failing to comprehend the danger.
“Railway officials have been instructed to take strict action against the persons taking selfies on the train or near rail lines. Apart from this, repeated awareness drives are being conducted to educate youngsters to avoid such incidents. Steps are also being taken to educate local people near train lines,” it said.
