A 29-wagon train carrying water was sent to Kerala from Pune by the Central Railway on Saturday. The train will be carrying 14.50 lakh litres of drinking water to Kerala. Over 324 lives were lost in the flood-hit state, which also displaced several hundred thousand others.
Krishnath Patil, a senior divisional commercial manager, Pune, said the train will ply on a priority basis and is expected to reach Kerala in the next 24-26 hours.
Of the 29 wagons, 15 wagons of South West Railway were filled in Pune, while 14 others were filled in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
“We have a connection from the municipal corporation for drinking water. We used water from our reserve to fill the railway tankers. Additional tankers were brought in to refill our storage as our operations depend on it,” said Patil. Water was also supplied by the local fire brigade.
The wagons from Ratlam arrived in Pune in another train, from which they were dislodged and later attached to the 14 wagons waiting in Pune’s Ghorpadi coach maintenance complex.
The railway authorities in Pune used two 15 horse power pumps and worked between 3am and 12pm to fill the 14 wagons, according to a Central Railway Pune division spokesperson. The train will reach Kayankulam junction in Kerala, from where water will be distributed by local authorities.
{{/usCountry}}The railway authorities in Pune used two 15 horse power pumps and worked between 3am and 12pm to fill the 14 wagons, according to a Central Railway Pune division spokesperson. The train will reach Kayankulam junction in Kerala, from where water will be distributed by local authorities.
{{/usCountry}}Previously, the railway authorities had organised a supply of water through trains to drought-hit Latur in 2017.