10000 Deaths Each Year, In The Country, Due To Unmanned Railway Crossings!

In 2011-12, Indian Railways recorded about 15,000 deaths. Experts say almost 70 percent of these took place at unmanned railway crossings. That is a staggering 10,000 lives and yet, incidents like the one today, in Medak, continue to happen.

Today, dozens of schoolchildren died when their schoolbus was rammed into by a speeding train at an unmanned crossing. In India, there are about 13,530 such unmanned crossings. While the Indian Railways does not divulge the actual number of deaths at unmanned level crossings, a rough calculation can help us understand the gravity of the situation. According to a high-level safety committee set up by the government of India earlier this year, Indian Railways recorded about 15,000 deaths in 2011-12. Experts say almost 70 percent of these took place at unmanned railway crossings.

The government can eliminate the danger altogether by shutting down the unmanned crossings, making them manned or constructing roads either above or below the railway tracks. The railway ministry is considering these options. But more deaths are likely to slip past the bureaucratic red tape.

Consider this: Sixty crossings could not be closed despite commissioning of overbridges, due to technical difficulties and the costs involved. Even if the railway ministry garners the political will, the financial muscle and operational flexibility to eliminate all unmanned railway crossings, it might take years to achieve that goal. Ten thousand and five hundred lives a year—or even one for that matter—is too high a price to pay. Even people needs to inculcate the seriousness about crossings to avoid these tragic accidents, that are now occurring so frequently.