Running on sheer luck

The recent collapse of a century-old clock tower at the bustling Kozhikode railway station is a stark and terrifying reminder of the institutional apathy governing public safety. Occurring on the heels of the devastating landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad, a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions was averted only by the sheer stroke of luck that no passengers happened to be present on the platform at eleven o'clock on Thursday morning. That this structural failure occurred during the monsoon is no excuse; the tower had been flagged as dangerous and slated for demolition three months ago, yet the contracting agency chose to sit idle, disregarding explicit warnings. This is a prima facie case of gross, criminal negligence shared equally by the railway administration and the contractor—an unacceptable lapse that has disrupted train services, caused widespread delays, and sent shockwaves through the commuting public.

Railway stations are distinct public ecosystems, traversed daily by thousands of families who entrust their lives to transit infrastructure. Consequently, any safety compromise in these spaces breeds deep public anxiety. Unfortunately, the Kozhikode incident is not an isolated aberration but part of a chronic pattern of systemic indifference. Only recently, a hazardous escalator malfunction at the Thiruvananthapuram railway station, where the mechanism suddenly reversed direction, was traced back to egregious safety lapses. Similarly, recurring fire outbreaks at parking complexes adjacent to major stations point directly to a profound deficit in vigilance and regulatory oversight by the railway authorities.

A significant catalyst for this declining safety standard is the absolute abdication of supervisory duties by the railways. Across Kerala, major modernisation and renovation projects are currently underway, but the oversight of these complex works has been entirely outsourced to private contracting companies. The dangers of this hands-off approach were vividly illustrated earlier this month at the Thampanoor station, where a massive piling machine overturned. It was only by a fortunate sliver of fate that the heavy machinery missed live high-voltage overhead cables, preventing a mass-fatality disaster. It is untenable for railway officials to remain passive spectators, waking up to act only after an accident occurs. This reactive governance must end. Constant, stringent monitoring of construction sites by railway engineers—alongside routine, uncompromising maintenance of critical utilities like lifts and escalators—must be enforced without fail. Furthermore, this decay is not confined to the railways; the state's KSRTC bus stands, particularly the dilapidated terminal at Kollam, mirror this pathetic disregard for structural integrity.

Public infrastructure must never be allowed to turn into a hazard zone where passenger safety depends entirely on luck. Authorities cannot afford to wait for a tragedy to manifest before they begin rectifying obvious structural flaws. An immediate, comprehensive safety audit of all vintage and ageing structures across railway stations must be institutionalised, followed by the swift demolition of compromised buildings. It is worth noting that Kerala remains one of the highest revenue-generating states for Indian Railways through passenger ticket sales. The state's commuters pay for a service, and they have every right to demand that their lives are safeguarded. The Indian Railways must reciprocate this financial windfall with an equal measure of accountability, proactive vigilance, and an unyielding commitment to passenger safety.