Truck driver dies after waiting for 5 days in queue at fuel station in Sri Lanka
Colombo, Jun 23: A 63-year-old truck driver has died in Sri Lanka after standing for five days in a queue at a filling station in the country's Western Province, the 10th death reported due to prolonged waiting for fuel procurement in the debt-ridden island nation grappling with the worst economic crisis since its independence, according to a media report on Thursday.
The man was found dead inside his vehicle after waiting in the queue at the filling station in Anguruwatota, police said.
The death toll in queues now stands at 10 and all the victims have been men aged between 43 and 84 years. Majority of the deaths reported in queues have been due to cardiac arrests, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.
A week ago, a 53-year-old man died while waiting in a queue for several hours at a fuel station in Panadura in Colombo. The man was reported to have died of a heart attack while waiting in the queue in his three-wheeler.
Sri Lanka, home to around 22 million, is currently facing its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years. Sri Lanka's economy is experiencing extreme fuel shortages, soaring food prices and a lack of medicines.
The current shortages were made worse by the government's inability to get the state-owned Bank of Ceylon to open Letters of Credit for fuel imports.
As a measure to tackle the fuel shortages and the resultant transport difficulties the state sector employees are allowed to treat Fridays as holidays starting from June 17, the public administration ministry said in a circular. This will be in force for the next three months.
A special holiday was granted on Friday for all schools due to transport difficulties. The privately-owned bus operators said they were doing only 20 per cent of the services due to fuel scarcity.
The state employees are encouraged to indulge in agricultural activity to grow food during the Friday holiday as a measure to mitigate the perceived food crisis forthcoming.
The country is experiencing long queues for refuelling at filling stations as the government finds it difficult to finance fuel imports to retain a reserve adequate for a minimum of three months. A move to ration fuel is to be implemented from next month as the forex crisis gets worsened.
In an unusual move, the envoys of the United States and the United Nations here on Sunday urged Sri Lanka's security forces to understand the frustration of citizens spending hours in long lines for essential commodities, and emphasised the need to quickly probe any excessive use of force against the public.
The appeal from the two envoys came a day after a clash between people and army personnel in a queue for fuel in Vishvamadu, Mullaitivu.
The nearly-bankrupt country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026.
Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.
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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.
