Joda: Allegations of unsafe and irregular mineral transportation have surfaced at a South Eastern Railway (SER) siding at Jurudi in Keonjhar district, raising concerns over compliance with safety norms. Sources said mineral loading takes place daily on five to six lines at the siding, with hundreds of rakes moving out on a daily basis.
However, rules meant to ensure safe transport are allegedly being flouted. Several wagons are reportedly not cleaned properly before loading, while some have holes that remain unrepaired. In addition, minerals are said to be loaded unevenly and transported without tarpaulin covers. Officials and locals said spillage of minerals along the track poses a serious risk, including the possibility of train derailments. Railway guidelines require rakes to be placed on designated lines and loaded within five hours of placement. Before loading, the wagons must be thoroughly cleaned and holes on those sealed to prevent leakage during transit. These steps are intended to ensure that minerals do not spill onto the tracks.
Despite these clear norms, contractors allegedly continue unsafe practices, while the Ministry of Railways has remained silent, effectively leaving operations in the hands of private contractors, critics say. If wagon doors and openings are not properly secured, they can open during transit, causing mineral spillage on the tracks leading to congestion. In several cases, this has also raised the risk of train derailments and accidents.
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Sources said railway wagons are often loaded mechanically with more than 60 metric tonnes of minerals, which then require manual leveling by workers. If the load is not evenly levelled, there is a strong possibility of derailment at turning points while the rake is en route to its destination.
However, proper levelling is reportedly not ensured at railway sidings. Even after loading, tarpaulins are not being used to cover wagons to prevent minerals from flying off. Avoiding such lapses and ensuring the safe movement of trains to their destinations is a key responsibility of the Ministry of Railways.
Contrary to this mandate, irregularities have surfaced at the Jurudi railway siding. Meanwhile, inspections found that several of the 58 wagons in a rake were without tarpaulin covers, some had doors not secured properly, and many loaded wagons had not been levelled Wednesday. If such negligence continues, the Ministry could suffer financial losses running into several crores of rupees. There have been calls for senior departmental officials to intervene. Jurudi Station Manager Shashikant Jajo said the contractor involved would be warned, adding that the responsibility lies with the commercial department. He said rakes are dispatched only after clearance from the commercial wing. Goods and commercial department officer Goutam Kumar, however, claimed the process was being carried out properly.
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