SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 4: Dhanbad Divisional Rail Manager (DRM ) Kamal Kishore Sinha said that the Dhanbad- Chandrapura (DC) rail track is safe for train movement and for the time being there is no danger to it from underground fire.
While talking to media persons, the DRM said the crater appearing near the DC track due to an underground fire in Baseria Basti has no impact on the rail line. “We are following what the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) directed in his inspection reports of track and monitoring it regularly,” said the DRM.
The DRM further added that besides it, the Senior Divisional Safety Officer (DSO) and his team are monitoring the 34 km long Dhanbad- Chandrapura rail track monthly.
50-foot crater appears at Baseria Basti
On Monday morning (June 25) an around 50-foot crater appeared nearly 45 km metres away from the Dhanbad- Chandrapur rail line in Baserai Basti. Since in 2017 rail line had been closed due to the risk of underground fire and subsidence, and the occurrence of craters near the track again rang the danger bell of closure.
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Getting information, a six-member team of Dhanbad Rail Division under Senior Divisional Engineer (DEN) RK Singh inspected the spot and mapped the distance between the crater and the rail track. The official said the crater was 45 km away and no danger to the rail track. However, the Senior DEN directed Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) officials to fill up the crater.
DGMS inspects fire zone area
Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) director Anil Kumar Das and Deputy Director Javed Alam also inspected the track and fire zone area and asked to initiate safety measures for the protection of rail lines from underground fire.
The Railway Board on June 15, 2017, closed the Dhanbad – Chandrapura rail line owing to underground fire and subsidence on the recommendation of the DGMS. A total of 26 trains on the route were affected. 13 mail express and six passenger trains were permanently cancelled and six other VIP trains were diverted.
However, two years later on June 20, 2019, the Railway Board opened the track again.