Raising track embankment from 30m depth amid downpour a daunting task, say SWR officials

Tasked with raising the embankment wall from a depth of 30 m and width of about 100 m for the Hassan-Mangaluru rail line in the Ghat stretch inaccessible by road has been a daunting task for the personnel of South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division.

Tasked with raising the embankment wall from a depth of 30 m and width of about 100 m for the Hassan-Mangaluru rail line in the Ghat stretch inaccessible by road has been a daunting task for the personnel of South Western Railway’s Mysuru Division.

While they struggle to raise the embankment with sand bags and boulders, rains lash the area making their task arduous. Yet, the men are working in shifts ever since the landslip was reported between Yadakumari and Kadagaravalli on Friday evening to restore the track. This is the first major landslip the ghat section is witnessing after the 2018 monsoon when landslips had occurred at 65 locations disrupting train traffic for nearly two months.

The Division has established a control room from where the restoration work is being monitored live, said Additional Divisional Railway Manager E. Vijaya. Senior officers, including the General Manager, take turns to monitor the work and guide the teams on site.

The restoration involves constructing a gabion wall and filling the area behind it with boulders and sandbags to make the required slope formation. Expert advice has been sought from multiple firms with relevant experience in similar restoration projects, said a release.

Out of the required 3,870 cubic metres of boulders, 670 have been unloaded and the remaining are being sourced. While 1 lakh sandbags of 40 kg each are required, 15,000 have been unloaded at site and the remaining are being arranged.

The SWR has established a communication system, including auto phones, control phones, satellite phones, Wi-Fi and VSAT communication (for live streaming) for continuous monitoring and coordination from the war room at the headquarters in Hubballi.

Eight portable generators, over 60 floodlights, 8 torches, 10 extension boards, and 140 liters of petrol, along with gas cutters, are on-site to support the restoration efforts. Six earth movers and five excavators are working at the site, the release said.