Students at a cultural programme to promote rail safety awareness. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, April 20: The Sambalpur railway division organised a cultural competition called Rail Chetana among school children to create awareness on the dangers of crossing unmanned railway crossings.

The event was held at the railway community hall in Sambalpur on Tuesday.

“Seventy-five accident cases have been recorded in Sambalpur railway division during the last 10 years. Thirty-six people died in these accidents. Of the 36 people, 35 had met with accidents while passing through unmanned railway level crossing,” said Pitabasa Panda, security officer, East Coast Railway. There are 400 level crossings in Sambalpur railway division. Out of all these, 274 are unmanned.

Twelve educational and cultural institutions participated in the competition. Students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Goshala, Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sambalpur, Koshala School in Bargarh, Rashtriya Gopal Vidyamandir in Sambalpur, St. Johns School in Sambalpur, Budharaja High School in Sambalpur and Panini Prajna Cultural Academy in Sambalpur, Bargarh and Hirkud took part in the competition.

Through traditional dances such as Daskathia, play and folk dances, the students tried to create awareness on the dangers of crossing railway crossings.

“We staged a play Itni Badi Chhabi which described how to avoid accidents while crossing the railway tracks. Through this cultural program, we hope we have been able to make people aware about the dangers related with railway crossings,” said Nihar Das, a Class X student of Sambalpur Kendriya Vidyalaya.

“Most of the accidents are reported from rural areas. People in villages are unaware about the hazards. The railways should think of organising this kind of competitions in rural areas as well so that the accidents occurring in those areas could be prevented,” added Nihar.

A.V. Sivaprashad, divisional railway manager, graced the occasion as the chief guest. Krupa Sagar Sahu, chief traffic manager of East Coast Railway, Jyotindra Digi, A.D.R.M. and Kumar Hassan, senior sub-editor of the Samaj graced the occasion as guests of honour.