Railway stations to serve as shelters in rain affected Chennai

New Delhi, Dec 3: Pressing into service special trains and providing food packets, medicines and shelters at various stations are, among other measures, initiated by Railways to help stranded people in torrential rain-battered Chennai.

Railways have also offered some of its stations as shelters for people in the adjoining affected areas in Chennai and Puducherry, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said today on the sidelines of a function here.

Besides running special trains from Chennai Beach to Mangalore and Bangalore today, he said arrangements were also made with Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses for taking passengers to their residences.

He said many helpline numbers have been made operational to disseminate information. Apart from setting up helpline numbers, he said skeleton services were also run in various sections for the convenience of the suburban passengers.

About 20,000 food and water packets have been distributed to stranded passengers at major stations at free of cost in association with the NGOs, he said, adding that another 10,000 food packets were being distributed today.

As per the arrangement, round-the-clock medical facilities were extended in Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore, Madurai and Tiruchchirappalli stations as well as in trains which have been stopped enroute.

He said RPF personnel were also deputed at various stations to help the people and actions were being taken on "war-footing" basis to attend the repair works at the affected locations.

PTI