LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Daltonganj, July 24: Resentment prevails among the villagers of Chhipadohar in Latehar district over the possibility of shifting the Chhipadohar railway station.
The shifting of the Chhipadohar railway station is talked about to facilitate realignment to the third railway line through it along with the already existing two railway lines here for decades.
The existing two railway lines and the third new railway line all are to be detoured just to free and decongest the core area of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) between Chhipadohar and Hehegara railway stations, a distance of around 11 km.
The relocation of the Chhipadohar railway station has sparked speculations that this railway station would now be too far away from its present existing location and thus it will cause inconvenience to the passengers here.
On Sunday, the people of Chhipadohar raised their voices and concerns demanding this Chhipadohar railway station to be where it is.
Railway Vikas Nigam Limited is laying down the third railway line between Patratu in Jharkhand to Sonnagar in Bihar.
Eleven km of it between the Chhipadohar and Hehegara railway stations are in the core area of the PTR.
The PTR has been pursuing the railways to shift its already existing two lines where on its alignment it can lay its third line too.
The issue is hanging fire over the years causing escalation to the cost of the laying of the third railway line between Chhipadohar and Hehegara railway stations besides the huge delay in laying the third railway line.
Chief public relations officer of ECR Hajipur late last night told this correspondent that there is no reason to worry about the Chhipadohar railway station. There is not going to be any inconvenience to the travelling masses. A curve or two in the railway line should not be any cause of worry to the passengers, he added.
On being specifically asked if the Chhipadohar railway station is really going to be shifted to around one and a half kilometres this ECR official asked this correspondent to speak to the RVNL official.
Insiders in the railways conceded there is bound to be a relocation of the stations falling in this 11 km stretch but it will cause no hindrance at all to any stakeholder.
The relocation will be in the same ‘halka’ of the plot where the railway station is already existing and a new railway building will mean more passenger-friendly than what it is now with the old Chhipadohar railway station.
Deputy Director North division of the PTR P Jena said, “We believe villagers will understand the need of the railways to decide the site of the railway station. The railways are to lay its third line. The PTR wants this new third line besides two other already existing lines to be out of the core area. And that is all the PTR has been pursuing sincerely in all these years.”
The already existing two railway lines see 90 ferries of trains, goods and passengers both, in 24 hours. If the third line is laid to its side the number of ferrying of trains will be 120 plus.
Can any core area of the PTR bear pressure of honking/speed etc of the 120-plus trains coming and going in 24 hours when news of elephants etc coming under the wheels of the trains breaks out at regular intervals? Sources said the wildlife is set to lose its equilibrium of mind with so many trains passing through it.
Again the railways have set a 25 kmph restriction on all types of trains in this 11 km stretch for the safety and security of the wildlife and once this third railway line along with the two other already existing lines are shifted and realigned this embargo on 25 kmph speed of the trains will also be withdrawn.
