HC directs rlws to upgrade disaster mngt plans

Mumbai, July 19: The Bombay High Court today directed the Central and Western Railway authorities to upgrade their disaster management plans in the wake of the 7/11 serial blasts in the metropolis.

A division bench comprising justices R M Lodha and N P Patil also directed the railway authorities to file an affidavit within six weeks regarding their comprehensive plans to deal with such situations in the future.

The directions came in response to a public interest litigation filed by a Pune-based medico Suresh Mehta. The doctor had filed a petition in 2001 alleging that the railways are negligent in providing medical facilities to accident victims, many of whom succumb to their injuries on the platform itself due to this reason.

The court had, then, directed the railways to ensure proper medical facilities.

In the wake of the 7/11 blasts in the metropolis, Dr Mehta sought a fresh direction from the court while alleging that many of the blast victims had died because there had been a 30-minute delay in reaching them to the hospitals.

The High Court also directed the railway authorities to file an affidavit and clarify whether the railways will bear the medical expenses of those injured in the blasts who are undergoing treatment in private hospitals.

The court further observed that there was a need to reduce the overcrowding in local trains and the railways must address this problem soon.

Adv Suresh Kumar, appearing on behalf of the railways, contended that the railways had already implemented a disaster management plan. The railways had also extended immediate medical relief to the blast victims, he contended. As regards reducing the overcrowding in trains, he said the railways were upgrading the nine-coach trains to twelve-coach ones.

UNI

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