The Ministry of Railways has made training in disaster management mandatory for railway officers. The move comes after investigation into the devastating Odisha train tragedy that left about 290 passengers dead and scores injured revealed that the disaster response could have been faster.
Disaster management has now been incorporated as an integral component of the training module for railway officers at the induction/foundation course level and also included in refresher or mid-career training programmes. The National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara, and the Indian Railway Institute of Disaster Management (IRIDM), Bengaluru, would work together in imparting the comprehensive training programme, railway sources said on Monday.
Editorial | Safety first: On the lessons from the train accident in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh