Passengers violating Covid-19 guidelines at Jabalpur Railway Station. (Pic by Anil Tiwari)

 

 

 

After the initial phase of lockdown, passengers waiting to board the train at Railway station and waiting halls were seen flouting Covid-19 protocols. The passengers were not wearing face masks. They were sitting in close proximity to each other in groups and not maintaining social distancing. The concerned authorities of the Western Central Railway (WCR) were looking relaxed in implementation of Covid-19 protocol, as no official was present to instruct the passengers to wear face masks and maintain social distancing. In view of the declining cases of coronavirus pandemic in major cities of Madhya Pradesh, including Jabalpur, the State Government issued a new set of guidelines to bring back life to normalcy. Besides, the State Government has instructed the concerned authorities to ensure adherence to Corona protocols at public places.

 

These include wearing facemask, maintaining social distancing and frequent use of sanitizers. However, the Western Central Railway is not serious about compliance of Covid-19 protocols at station premise. The careless attitude of Western Central railway may put the lives of the passengers at risk. The efforts of State Government to check the rising cases of Corona Virus in the city will go in vain. The State Government has taken stringent measures like closure of educational institutions, swimming pools, gathering at marriage and funeral has been restricted to a handful of people. ‘The Hitavada’ spoke to the WCR, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) Rahul Jaipuriyar. He said, “We conduct random checks for face masks and social distancing regularly. Passengers also have to be responsible and should follow Covid protocols strictly.”