In the wake of a severe water crisis in several states, the railways has undertaken a massive exercise to protect, nurture and revive water bodies on rail land across the country.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has given written instruction to the Railway Engineering Department to prepare an action plan without delay to take stock of situation of all water bodies on rail land.
Steps to protect, preserve and rejuvenate all water bodies of the railways should be undertaken on a priority basis, according to the instruction issued by Prabhu.
Those water bodies which are non-functional should be revived in a time-bound manner so that results are visible, it added.
The railways has thousands of water bodies along its 65,000 km-long tracks and rail land.
Coming to the rescue of people in the parched land, the railways has pressed wagons filled with water into service in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
After nine trips by a 10-wagon water train, a 50-wagon water train carrying 25 lakh litre water reached parched Latur today.
Christened 'Jaldoot', the water train has made several trips to Latur from Miraj, travelling a distance of 342 km to deliver about 70 lakh litres till now.
