RailEnquiry

Chennai: Can you guess how long does it take to get a water tap fixed in a railway station in Chennai division? Going by the experience of rail users in Nemm­eli­chery, there could be fewer examples for red tape than this, at least in Southern Railway (SR).Wonder why? Rail users in Nemmelichery, which witnesses thousands of students and officer goers, have been ‘battling’ to get a tap fixed in their station platform for the last two and a half years, precisely, since the station’s inauguration in February 2010.Strangely, a member had even raked it up, much to the embarrassment of railway officials, in a couple of DRUCC (divisional railway users consultative committee) meetings. But, the travelers are yet to get the tap fixed; the station has a fully equipped overhead tank and borewell notwithstanding.S. Mohanram, who has been reelected to DRUCC for 2013-15 and who took up the matter in this year’s inaugural meeting too argues: They have the tank, borewell and water. All that they need to do is fix the tap. Should travelers wait for two and a half years to fix a water tap?“They don’t need huge grant. They only have to spend a few rupees from the regular maintenance fund to provide drinking water to the rail users. We simply cannot understand what they are waiting for?” Mohanram asked. Wo­rse, two divisional railway managers, a senior divisional commercial manager and a handful of officials at the station and divisional headquarters have been approached for a simple water tap, but to no avail.

“If a simple water tap cannot be fixed in a halt station how will the railways upgrade passenger amenities across the country,” college students using the EMUs at Nemmelichery argue.