Now, CCTVs along Howrah-Mumbai railway route to curb stone pelting on moving trains

Jamshedpur: The Chakradharpur railway division of South Eastern Railways (SER) has identified 20 spots along the Howrah-Mumbai railway route for setting up CCTV cameras to curb stone pelting on moving trains.

Solar powered CCTV cameras will be set up in these spots, which cross through rural and suburban areas including Manoharpur, Sonua, Chakradharpur, Bisra, Panposh, Chaibasa, Danguaposi, Banspani will see the CCTVs installation in the first phase. “Installation process has already commenced at the vulnerable spots,” said Aditya Chaudhary, senior divisional commercial manager of Chakradharpur division, said on Saturday.That apart, CCTVs will also be set up in Galudih, Rakhamines, Jaduguda, Gamharia and Sini railway stations. That apart, RPF squads are carrying out counselling of the youth to refrain them from pelting stones, Chaudhary said. Further, a special mobile squad of the RPF has been formed to keep an eye on the miscreants and anti-social elements on the dedicated route of the trains. Additionally, the Government Railway Police (GRP) will cooperate with RPF with intelligence, if any, to thwart such incidents.

Ten incidents of stone pelting have been reported, mostly on the Vande Bharat trains, in the three districts of the Kolhan Division till Aug this year. While window panes were damaged, passengers remained unhurt in the incidents, officials said. On Aug 30, Tatanagar-Barhampur Vande Bharat express was targeted in Chaibasa . On August 15, stones were pelted on the Howrah-Rourkela Vande Bharat train in Seraikela.