Ahead of the monsoon season, the Indian Railways is conducting pre-monsoon preparation works to ensure uninterrupted services during the season. The monsoon preparation works include cleaning and desilting culverts, side drains, special maintenance of infrastructure, installing high-power diesel and electric pumps, among others. The Western Railway informed in a press release that despite lockdowns, pre-monsoon preparation works are being carried out. Some preparation work being done in the Mumbai suburban section: Pre-cleaning joint inspection of the culverts has been completed with respective municipal corporations, MCGM, MBMC and VVCMC. Muck/earth/garbage alongside the rail tracks have been removed to allow smooth stormwater discharge into drains. To have authentic and real-time rain data, four Automatic Rain Gauges, in association with IMD, are in the process of being installed and 10 independently installed by the Western Railway zone in the suburban network. New manholes and drains have been constructed for facilitation in smooth water discharge. Intensive and multiple cleaning rounds of 54 culverts and drains of 47 km in the suburban network will be completed before the monsoon. To increase pumping capacity by 33% as compared to last year, 191 higher capacity pumps have been installed this year on the Churchgate-Virar section. At Bandra and Prabhadevi, old cast iron pipes with breakages and leakages have been replaced with a wide and covered RCC waterway. As much as 140,000 cubic metre of muck, garbage, and released earth has been removed from the suburban section till now by deploying JCB, Poclain, manual labour, as well as three specially modified EMU muck trains. The number of pumps provided on rail tracks as well as depots has been increased by 27%. Track and OHE has been lifted at 15 identified sections in low lying areas from 100 mm to 250 mm. A drone has been used for survey in Borivali -Virar suburban section and major nallas in Vasai-Virar section to monitor the obstructions in waterways as well as cleaning and dredging of nallas. In Mahim yard, HDPE pipes have been provided, resulting in a quick discharge of rainwater from the yard. Additional openings have been provided in Mahim, Matunga and Dadar yard. Suction/desludging have been used to ensure deep cleaning of culverts. A new micro tunnelling method has been adopted for the construction of culverts. Municipal and Western Railway officials have conducted a joint survey for cutting and trimming of vulnerable trees existing in the vicinity of the track. Overhead track crossing’s joint checking was done, the work of which has been completed. As many as 286 bird nests have been removed from OHE structures. In order to avoid the menace of birds, bird deterrent gel has been applied at almost 6000 locations. The checking work of OHE under FOB, ROB, as well as under other overline structure for clearance, provision of false catenary has been 95% completed till now. Out of 21, as many as 17 redundant/released structures have been removed. While the remaining four will be removed by May 31. OHE checking on girder bridges has been completed. Monsoon-related maintenance work of EMU suburban rakes is being done. Between the Churchgate-Virar section, a joint inspection of pantographs and roof equipment of Loco, EMUs, and MEMUs at Loco sheds, EMU sheds, and MEMU sheds. Trip sheds are being done. Special attention is also being given to the maintenance of overhead electric equipment to ensure the running of trains during monsoon. Prior to the onset of the monsoon, insulation testing of various signalling gears will be completed. The Western Railway zone is ensuring round-the-clock monitoring and manning of the control office during heavy rains. Precautions will be taken by railway authorities at stations to monitor the crowd. Image Source Also read: Indian Railways sets up 70k isolation beds in over 4,400 coaches Also read: Flooding spots in Mumbai increase substantially in two years