The audit report found that the automatic smoke/fire detection device in the running trains are not successfully implemented.
New Delhi:
Short circuit, poor maintenance and lack of awareness are major reasons of fire in trains, according to the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Besides the audit report found that the automatic smoke/fire detection device in the running trains are not successfully implemented.
Though recommendations are made by high level safety review committee and 12th Five Year Plan for introduction of fire alarm system in coaches for early detection of fire, it has not been successfully implemented, CAG noted in its latest report tabled in Parliament today.
A joint survey conducted by CAG and railway officials found that fire prone activities like cigarette smoking, cooking by vendors at stations, carrying of inflammable articles by unauthorised persons, accumulation of empty cardboard boxes and other waste materials were unchecked aggravating the risk of fire.
The report observed that Corporate Safety Plan (CSP) envisaged bringing down the number of accidents by 80 per cent from 2001-02 to 2013 but number of accidents went up by 160 per cent during the period.
The loss of human lives in fire accidents in passenger coaches steeply increased from 3 in 2001-02 to 9 in 2011-12, 32 in 2012-13 and 35 in 2013-14.
It also found that the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the agency responsible for prescribing specifications for fire retardant materials did not have their own laboratory facilities and the proposal in 2006 to create state of the art laboratory is still in nascent stage.
"The fire simulation of coach design could not be put to optimum due to non-availability of testing facilities," CAG report said.
Besides the audit report found that the automatic smoke/fire detection device in the running trains are not successfully implemented.
Though recommendations are made by high level safety review committee and 12th Five Year Plan for introduction of fire alarm system in coaches for early detection of fire, it has not been successfully implemented, CAG noted in its latest report tabled in Parliament today.
A joint survey conducted by CAG and railway officials found that fire prone activities like cigarette smoking, cooking by vendors at stations, carrying of inflammable articles by unauthorised persons, accumulation of empty cardboard boxes and other waste materials were unchecked aggravating the risk of fire.
The report observed that Corporate Safety Plan (CSP) envisaged bringing down the number of accidents by 80 per cent from 2001-02 to 2013 but number of accidents went up by 160 per cent during the period.
The loss of human lives in fire accidents in passenger coaches steeply increased from 3 in 2001-02 to 9 in 2011-12, 32 in 2012-13 and 35 in 2013-14.
It also found that the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the agency responsible for prescribing specifications for fire retardant materials did not have their own laboratory facilities and the proposal in 2006 to create state of the art laboratory is still in nascent stage.
"The fire simulation of coach design could not be put to optimum due to non-availability of testing facilities," CAG report said.
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