Rlys serves eviction notice to residents close to tracks

A group of residents whose houses are located close to the railway track here today sought the intervention of the district administration with the railways serving a notice asking them to vacate to enable construction of a compound wall.
The Salem Division of Southern Railway has on Dec 2 issued eviction notices to 45 residents to vacate the houses and huts on Kadalaikaa street, just five feet away from the track near the Coimbatore Junction.
The residents petitoined District Collector T N Hariharan seeking allotment of alternative houses for them.
The Southern Railways has decided to construct a compound wall to prevent trespassing into the station and track through Kadalaikara street, railway sources said.

Moreover, according to Railway Safety Rules, houses or huts should be 20 metres away from the railway track, whereas these houses were just five feet from the track, they said.