The Railway Board has directed all its zones and production units to supply insulated water bottles with a two-litre capacity to track maintainers in view of the prevailing intense heat conditions
A letter addressed to all the zones and production units stated taking notice of the prevailing severe heatwave across the country, the Civil Engineering Directorate has instructed to provide water bottles to the eligible group of employees.
The letter specified that the water bottles should have proper heat insulation, ensuring that water remains cool for five to six hours.
Delay in implementation?
The All India Railway Track Maintainers’ Union (AIRTU) has welcomed this decision. However, they noted that while the letter was issued on April 9, the distribution of water bottles has yet to commence.
“I request the authorities concerned to start providing good-quality water bottles as soon as possible as the heat situation is getting worse day by day,” Satish Yadav, general secretary, AIRTU, Western Railway, said.
Yadav mentioned that the railways used to distribute these water bottles at the start of summer every year, but the practice was discontinued in 2018. “Now, after a gap of six years, it has started once again which is good for us,” Yadav said.