Forest fires along Western Ghats cause concern for train movement between Mangaluru and Bengaluru

On the advice of forest department, South Western Railway is spraying water on either sides of the tracks through water tanks mounted on goods trains thrice a day

Incidents of forest fire along the Western Ghats, induced by the increased temperature, gusty winds and mischief mongers, has for the first time, been threatening movement of trains along the Subrahmanya Road-Sakleshpur Ghat section on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru line.

With the first of such fire incidents being reported on March 8 near Siribagilu, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Conservator of Forests Y.K. Dinesh Kumar rushed to Subrahmanya Road Station at Nettana in Kadaba taluk with his personnel and held discussions with South Western Railway officials.

After examining the stretch through trolley inspection up and down the line, he suggested Railway officials to mount water tanks on a goods train and spray water on either side of the tracks using water pumps. The fire was thus extinguished at the time and the Mangaluru Central-Bengaluru overnight Express was allowed to pass the Ghat.

Stating that nowhere in Karnataka had such an exercise of extinguishing fire using trains been taken up, Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that the Ghat section track was otherwise inaccessible by any other mode, except trains or by foot. The measure was highly essential in view of the safety of passengers as well as goods trains hauling LPG tankers, the DCF said.

Sources in the Railways told The Hindu that water spraying exercise using goods trains was being taken up two times during the day and once in the night since March 8 between Donigal and Subrahmanya Road stations. The Railways was concerned about passenger safety as well as safety of LPG tanker rakes. Forest fires were being reported from many locations regularly and the same were being attended to, sources said.

For the first time, such a forest fire was being witnessed on the section ever since the stretch became operational, sources said. If LPG tanker trains exploded due to the impact of the forest fire, it could have become a national disaster, they said.

The Ghat stretch that was prone to landslips since about five years during the Monsoon, has now been witnessing forest fires during the summer. Like in the monsoon, SWR has posted over 50 watchmen at vantage locations to mount vigil round-the-clock and inform the higher ups upon witnessing forest fire, sources said.