grass planted to counter landslide
June 3, 2008
From: Mrityunjay Bose
Vetiver grass planted to prevent landslides on Konkan route
Mumbai: In a unique way to tackle landslides on the rocky and mountainous track of the Konkan Railway, it has now started planning Vetiver saplings along the route, which holds the soil firmly reducing chances of rocks and boulders falling down during the monsoon.
"This is perhaps for the first time such a technology is being used in India," a senior official of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) told 'Sakaal Times' on Tuesday, following completion of the pre-monsoon safety work.
More than 50 lakh Vetiver saplings were planted on the soil cuttings along the route since the last monsoon and this monsoon nearly 28 to 30 lakh saplings would be planted.
"Vetiver is a type of grass, and the roots can go as much as four meters inside the soil," the official said pointing out that it makes the soil cuttings more stable and reduces soil erosion. The Konkan Railway route is prone to landslides during the monsoon, but now this innovative solution will prevent landslides.
Meanwhile, several other measures were taken for a hassle-free monsoon – and special attention was given to flattening of slopes and shotcreting works inside tunnels. The geo-safety works done on the route include earthwork for flattening of cutting slope and provision of berms, catchwater drain lining, RCC retaining walls, gabion walls, shotcreting, rock bolting, and so on. Extensive works of this nature had ensured uninterrupted and safe train operations on the route in the last three monsoons.
Apart from this, 24X7 monsoon patrolling will be conducted and footplating will be done by officials in the night to ensure safety along the track.
About 300 patrolmen will patrol the railway line. Instructions have also been issued to the loco drivers to impose speed of 40 kmph in case of heavy rainfall impairing visibility
A special monsoon timetable will also come into effect from June 10 reducing the maximum sectional speed of trains to 75 kmph between Veer-Udupi section (645 km) during monsoon. The special monsoon time-table is being implemented by KRCL since 2005 and has been found to be very effective.
As many as 658 Cell One mobile phones of BSNL have been provided to train drivers, station masters and other field officials. Both drivers and guards of trains have been provided with walkie-talkie sets as well as every station on Konkan Railway is equipped with 25 Watt VHF base station. This enables wireless communication between the train crew as well as train crew and station master.
Emergency communication sockets have been provided at a distance of average one Km along the Konkan Railway route (spacing reduced to 500 metres inside tunnels), that enables the patrolmen, watchmen and other field maintenance staff to contact station master and train controllers during any emergency situations in train operations. Satellite phone communication has been provided in ARMV (Accident Relief Medical Van) situated at Ratnagiri and Verna stations for contacting headquarter control when ARMV is pressed in service.
From: Mrityunjay Bose
Vetiver grass planted to prevent landslides on Konkan route
Mumbai: In a unique way to tackle landslides on the rocky and mountainous track of the Konkan Railway, it has now started planning Vetiver saplings along the route, which holds the soil firmly reducing chances of rocks and boulders falling down during the monsoon.
"This is perhaps for the first time such a technology is being used in India," a senior official of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) told 'Sakaal Times' on Tuesday, following completion of the pre-monsoon safety work.
More than 50 lakh Vetiver saplings were planted on the soil cuttings along the route since the last monsoon and this monsoon nearly 28 to 30 lakh saplings would be planted.
"Vetiver is a type of grass, and the roots can go as much as four meters inside the soil," the official said pointing out that it makes the soil cuttings more stable and reduces soil erosion. The Konkan Railway route is prone to landslides during the monsoon, but now this innovative solution will prevent landslides.
Meanwhile, several other measures were taken for a hassle-free monsoon – and special attention was given to flattening of slopes and shotcreting works inside tunnels. The geo-safety works done on the route include earthwork for flattening of cutting slope and provision of berms, catchwater drain lining, RCC retaining walls, gabion walls, shotcreting, rock bolting, and so on. Extensive works of this nature had ensured uninterrupted and safe train operations on the route in the last three monsoons.
Apart from this, 24X7 monsoon patrolling will be conducted and footplating will be done by officials in the night to ensure safety along the track.
About 300 patrolmen will patrol the railway line. Instructions have also been issued to the loco drivers to impose speed of 40 kmph in case of heavy rainfall impairing visibility
A special monsoon timetable will also come into effect from June 10 reducing the maximum sectional speed of trains to 75 kmph between Veer-Udupi section (645 km) during monsoon. The special monsoon time-table is being implemented by KRCL since 2005 and has been found to be very effective.
As many as 658 Cell One mobile phones of BSNL have been provided to train drivers, station masters and other field officials. Both drivers and guards of trains have been provided with walkie-talkie sets as well as every station on Konkan Railway is equipped with 25 Watt VHF base station. This enables wireless communication between the train crew as well as train crew and station master.
Emergency communication sockets have been provided at a distance of average one Km along the Konkan Railway route (spacing reduced to 500 metres inside tunnels), that enables the patrolmen, watchmen and other field maintenance staff to contact station master and train controllers during any emergency situations in train operations. Satellite phone communication has been provided in ARMV (Accident Relief Medical Van) situated at Ratnagiri and Verna stations for contacting headquarter control when ARMV is pressed in service.
Comments
take a look and write about it!
best wishes
Dick Grimshaw
The Vetiver Network International.