COVID19: CR’s Ngp Divn readying 35 coaches for patient isolation
| Date :02-Apr-2020 |
Toilet retrofitted by affixing shower and increasing cabin height for easier handling.
By Sagar Mohod :
Nagpur and Ballarshah stations to host the coaches as Mechanical Branch engaged in modification process
About 35 coaches are being readied by Central Railway's Nagpur Division for utilisation as isolation centre for the suspects of coronavirus during their 14-days quarantine period. As per directions from Railway Board the non air conditioned coaches are to be converted and in first phase 10 are being remodelled, said Akhilesh Choubey, Sr. Divisional Engineer, Mechanical Branch, on Wednesday. In the first instance SCN coaches of Indian Coach Factory (ICF) make would be utilised to prepare the isolation coaches. Railways has decided to pitch in with 20,000 coaches for utilisation by health agencies across country for isolation of patients. CN is a code signifying three tier coaches.
Choubey said job for conversion is on at Sick Line of Nagpur Yard and work of modification of six coaches is more or less completed. Central Railway is given target of 482 coaches to be modified at various workshops and the five divisions. After the 10, in second tranche 25 more coaches would be converted to complete the target of 35 given to division.
The directives to division said only those ICF coaches that are in use for 20-years or more are to be utilised for conversion to quarantine coaches. If CN coaches falls short then division can look over to GN coaches, it means general sleeper coaches, and convert the same as per the guidelines issued by Board. In case coaches beyond 20-years are not available then division can draw on coaches between 15 to 20 years and 10-15 years subsequently in case of non-availability. Earlier directives had talked about removal of three berths in the compartment and same are revised and now only middle berth is to be taken out. The idea is that the two berths would be utilised for keeping the medical equipments if required. Further curtain hooks are affixed inside the compartment to enable putting on drips and other machines. Extra bottle holders too was directed to be provided in each compartment with facility of clamping as Medical Department is asked to deploy oxygen cyclinders.
The Northern Railway had prepared a pro-type based on which the Zones were asked to follow the suit. Some little modification however has been done at local level, Choubey added. Apart from converting two latrines into bathroom, three separate coloured dustbins operated by foot are placed in each of the cabin of isolation compartment that would have nine beds facility. Even the taps inside the bathroom are changed to flap ones so that one can use the same with elbow and the Indian WC is covered with wooden boards and it is topped with PVC. The height of the tap near the seat is also raised to enable placing of a bucket and a shower is also fitted in the modified bathroom. Similarly, either entry would be covered by plastic sheets and windows are fitted with mosquito nets.