At least 19 people died and 85 others were injured on Thursday when the locomotive and three bogies of a special train carrying army personnel and military hardware to Kharian plunged into a canal near Jamke Chattha, in Gujranwala. he train was taking the troops to Kharian from Pano Aqil. A relief train was sent to the scene from Lahore as well as two helicopters for assistance. Eighty injured passengers were rescued and an emergency was declared in local hospitals. The collapsed bridge was reported to have been built in 1904, and it is likely it had passed its recommended lifetime and was in a dilapidated state in recent years. What is regrettable to note is the early blame game that has led to tensions between those officials responsible for law enforcement and those responsible for maintenance of the bridge. The former said it was unlikely to be an act of sabotage, whereas the latter said the bridge, which is more than a century old, was in working condition as trains passed over it regularly. This exchange began even as rescue efforts were still under way, and was sparked when unnamed military officials gave informal statements to the media saying they suspected sabotage since the train was carrying troops to participate in a military exercise. The problem with Pakistan’s rail and road infrastructure is systemic. This is despite the fact that the PML-N continues to sell an infrastructure-oriented development approach for public consumption. Numerous road development projects are initiated every year without any attention paid to bridges and other connecting roads that are in a dangerous condition. The impact of the 2010 and 2011 floods on road and rail infrastructure has not been assessed, nor do the statements by the railways minister indicate that there will be any shift in approach.
There are many other examples of bridges poorly maintained or makeshift bridges built for pedestrians in rural areas or urban slums collapsing. The death toll in the present tragedy is higher than in any of the other incidents mentioned here, but taken together they all highlight the casual manner in which bridges are treated in our society. Building and using bridges is easier than ensuring they remain safe from wear and tear as well as sabotage. Also over half of all bridges in the railway system are beyond their designed lifespan. The quality of workmanship and materials used in the repair and maintenance of railway infrastructure has been criticised in the past. However APS and this train are just the soft targets that the terrorists need to send their message of resistance to the military. If this accident was a terrorist attack, then it reflects the failure of the state in implementing NAP and not being able to gather sufficient intelligence on the militant organisations to be able to pre-emptively stop such attacks from happening.
pk.shafaqna.com
