COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown saw India emerging as a team. Together, individuals and enterprises are contributing their best to battle the pandemic. One among them is the Indian Railways. From seamless transportation of medicines to the conversion of compartments to COVID-19 wards, the Indian railways has been at the forefront of relief activities.
Railways helped when there was a requirement for fast modes of transportation for medical equipment. Items including medicines, masks, hospital tools and commodities were transported through its time-tabled parcel services. So far, the railways was able to transport 1,150 tonnes of medical items during the lockdown. To meet the quarantine facilities, Indian Railways converted train coaches into isolation wards.
To ensure constant availability of food grains for the Public Distribution System (PDS), railways doubled the quantity of food grain loaded compared to the last year. From March 25 to April 17, above 4.2 Mn tonnes of food grains were loaded.
As a big support for healthcare workers, the railways’ production units started manufacturing PPE coveralls. The entity plans to manufacture 1 Lakh PPEs in May alone. Meanwhile, Indian Railways recently crossed 2 Mn mark in the distribution of free meals to the vulnerable. Using IRCTC kitchens from various zones, Railways distributed above 20.5 lakhs of meals in April 2020.
All these gestures have helped millions during this tough time. Although the train services are stalled across India, Indian railways is always ready when it comes to serving the nation. Indian railways is a model many can emulate.
