Mumbai: Konkan Railway (KR) has ramped up security on all its services to the Konkan region, Maharashtra, as thousands of passengers make a beeline to their native places to celebrate the 11-day Ganesh festival which starts on Friday.
Being the biggest festival of this region, KR has arranged nearly 300 trips during this period to meet with the heavy rush of passengers in the Ratnagiri region of KR and put in place several security measures that are being taken by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of KR to make the journey safe.
Presently, it has also been decided to run additional trains between Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) to Chiplun, Pune to Sawantwadi Road, and from Manmad to Karmali and Ajni to clear the extra rush of passengers.
For additional security, one company of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) comprising 100 armed staff has been deployed along with RPF staff for crowd control and maintaining law and order. To augment existing staff and to ensure a high profile presence of uniformed personnel, the RPF staff from other regions of KRCL have also been mobilized and deployed at major station in the Ratnagiri section. The RPF will also be strategically deputed for escorting the most affected trains during this period.
To maintain a hawk-like vigil during the festival rush, additional CCTV cameras have also been installed at Khed, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Kankavli and Sawantwadi stations, apart from the existing 151 CCTV cameras.
As a part of the awareness campaign, advisory pamphlets are being distributed among passengers in trains and stations by RPF with regard to theft, drugging of passengers and other crimes. Further, RPF staff have also been sensitized to respond quickly to messages received through Twitter and All India Security Helpline No. 182 in case of any security related problems.
To further bolster the manpower, 74 Home Guards have also been deployed to assist the RPF. Police authorities have also assured of assistance in maintaining law and order in railway premises.
