Joy's death: High-level committee will probe; garbage not created by Railways, says DRM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Railway Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Manager Dr Manish Thaplyal said that a high committee will investigate the incident of Joy's death after being swept away during the cleaning work at Amayizhanchan Canal. He said in a press conference that compensation to Joy's family will be decided after examining the legal aspects.

Joy didn't set out to clean the canal. He was exploring the possibilities. Garbage in Amayizhanchan canal is not created by the railways. The irrigation department is primarily responsible for removing the silt and cleaning the canal. The corporation and the irrigation department should take steps to prevent waste from reaching the railway area. The toilets in the coaches are bio-toilets and do not discharge waste. Only 117 meters of Amayizhanchan canal, which is about twelve kilometres long, passes below the railway yard. Due to the slope on the side of the railway bridge, the water flows quickly. However, near the powerhouse, the canal is higher at the outlet. It is like a wall here. This is the reason for the accumulation of garbage and silt inside the tunnel. An efficient plan will be prepared for cleaning the tunnel. Reconstruction and re-routing of the canal is not feasible at present. This will be considered while upgrading Thampanoor railway station.

Station garbage is not discharged into the Canal

Railways has a system for waste management. Authorized agencies are appointed for this. Garbage from the railway station is not discharged into the Canal. The fact that Joy's body was found 750 meters away from the railway premises is proof that the flow is not blocked in our area.