CR gets rain ready: 122 guards to control crowd on 13 FOBs in and around Mumbai

Expect better crowd management at stations on the Central Railway (CR) this monsoon as 122 home guards will be deployed at 13 critical foot overbridges (FOB).

These critical FOBs require crowd management during heavy rainfall. These FOBs are at Parel, Dadar, Chinchpokli, Currey Road, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan, Badlapur and Titwala stations. “The home guards will be positioned mainly at the critical FOBs. Deploying them at other crowded areas will also be considered. They will be inducted next week,” said Sachin Bhalode, senior divisional security commissioner, CR.

The home guards will be inducted only for monsoon and will work in sync with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) on heavy rainfall days. The CR’s move comes after the stampede at Elphinstone station FOB last year that killed 23.

The CR has also formed standard operating procedure (SOP) teams which will be deployed at FOBs and on narrow platforms. The teams comprise of nearly 259 MSF jawans and 220 RPF personnel. The teams will be in charge of dispersing crowds and directing commuters during emergencies.

Drills for crowd dispersal were also organised at Ghatkopar, Dadar, Kurla, Parel, Chinchpokli and Currey Road railway stations last week. Moreover, railway authorities have built extended rain cover sheds for FOBs. These have been constructed at Mumbra, Kalwa, Diva, Thane, Nahur, Kurla and Currey Road stations, and are meant to be used for shelter during heavy rains.

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