Rlys install rain gauge recorders to tackle monsoon issues

Railways in Mumbai to install automated rain gauges and barriers to prevent flooding and garbage dumping, improving commuter safety during rains.

MUMBAI: Taking a cue from the May 26 rains that lashed Mumbai, the railways are now taking two vital steps. Both Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) will install automated digital rain-gauge recorders as well as physical barriers on the boundary walls along the suburban corridors that ferry nearly seven million daily commuters.

Rlys install rain gauge recorders to tackle monsoon issues

Eighteen automated digital rain gauges have been installed on the Churchgate-Virar route on WR and 24 on the CSMT-Kasara/Karjat/Panvel corridors. Each device costs around ₹70,000.

The locations of the rain gauges have been decided based on their history of water-logging and track levels in the past. The devices will help the rail authorities to pre-empt the speed and quantum of rain and take adequate measures for preventing waterlogging.

“The rain gauge recorder will measure rainfall, temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed and direction,” said a railway official. “The monitoring of rains will be real-time and information will be relayed to the railway’s control room.”

The rain gauge recorders will collect and transmit hourly rainfall data, cyclonic conditions and IMD alerts to all field staff, which will help in predicting potential waterlogged areas on the rail track and allow maintenance teams to take prompt action to prevent the disruption of train services. Sources said the data could be stored for a few months and retrieved as and when needed.

The devices will be managed by the respective section engineers in the Churchgate-Virar belt. “We have installed automated digital rain gauges at five locations on the Harbour Line, 15 between CSMT and Kalyan, and three each between Kalyan-Kasara, Kalyan-Karjat and Panvel-Roha,” said a CR official, adding that the rain gauges predicted rainfall patterns.

The second issue being tackled by the railways is the garbage thrown by slum dwellers living along the tracks, which chokes the drains and leads to flooding. To solve this, three-metre-tall carbon fibre frames are being put up on the boundary walls along the rail lines.

“We have begun the process of installing these barricades at Curry Road, Chinchpokli, Sion, Matunga and Kurla and Masjid,” said a CR official. “The walls will help control garbage-dumping from the slums and buildings outside.”

Around 35 to 40 km of the Central line route will have these barricades. The WR authorities have installed them at Mahim and Matunga Road and will extend them further to other locations.