Railway units now preparing sanitisers to meet demand

Even as the national transporter has stopped work in all its production units, the Indian Railways' units are now geared to supply sanitisers to help the country in its fight against COVID-19.

According to Railway Ministry officials, the national transporter's Diesel Shed in West Bengal's Asansol and Diesel Locomotive shed in Rajasthan's Jodhpur have produced over 700 liters of sanitisers in the last few days.

A senior Railway Ministry official said that the Diesel Locomotive shed in Andal in Asansol has prepared 500 litres of sanitisers.

He said the sanitisers produced by the diesel shed has been neatly packed in different sizes of bottles for delivery.

The official said that the Diesel Locomotive Shed in Bhagat ki Kothi in Jodhpur has prepared 215 litres of sanitisers. The official said the sanitiser prepared at the Jodhpur unit was distributed to 13 different units of railways' Jodhpur division.

Following suspension of passenger trains, the railways has stopped the production at all its production units and has taken up the task of preparing hospital beds, IV stands and other medical equipment required by hospitals.

The railways has earlier decided to suspend the passenger, mail and express train services from March 23 to March 31. However, in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special address on COVID-19 on Tuesday and his announcement of a three-week countrywide lockdown, the railways suspended passenger trains till April 14.

The railways also stopped booking till April 14 on its online platforms of IRCTC. In view of Covid-19 only goods trains are pressed into services to ensure the supply of essential items across the country.