Nepal, India agree to finalize MoU on Raxual-Kathmandu railway line
Kathmandu, July 9 : Nepali and Indian officials agreed on Monday to an early finalization of an MoU for Preliminary Engineering cum Traffic Survey of the Raxaul-Kathmandu rail line.
The move came at a time when there is buzz about the Chinese railway crossing the Himalayas to counter the Indian influence in Nepal.
Officials here said that the Chinese railway line has to cross the friction of two-highly sensitive Tibetan and Indian seismic plates to reach from Kerung to Kathmandu.
But the Indian railway was safe in this matter due to comfortable topography, officials said. A team of Indian authorities already conducted the first round of survey to connect the Indian rail with Kathmandu.
"The Nepali side conveyed its deep appreciation for the Indian government support in the development of the India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Links, which would enhance people-to-people linkage and promote economic growth and development in the region," the official statement said.
"The Indian side too expressed its appreciation for Nepal's commitment to expeditiously resolve all the outstanding issues including making available remaining land required for completion of the ongoing rail link projects."
Both sides also agreed to put concerted efforts in resolving all the issues expeditiously for completion of the railway lines from Jayanagar to Janakpur-Kurtha and from Jogbani to Biratnagar Customs Yard by the October 2018 timeline.
Apart from Raxual-Kathmandu railway line, India has already started building five cross-border railway lines while another railway line -- Jayanagar to Janakpur-Kurtha is about to complete within a year.
The officials also agreed to take forward work in the remaining stretches of the two rail projects from Kurtha-Bijalpura-Bardibas and from Biratnagar Customs Yard-Biratnagar sections on priority, according to the statement.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
