The Dibrugarh Coaching Depot of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) at Banipur railway station has converted railway coaches into isolation coaches for COVID19 patients in Dibrugarh.

Taking the initiative in view of the COVID19 pandemic, the NF Railway authority has already converted a number of railway coaches into isolation wards.

“So far, 315 isolation coaches under the Northeast Frontier Railway have been converted into isolation wards for COVID19 patients,” said railway official sources.

Jitender Yadav, assistant divisional mechanical engineer at the Dibrugarh Coaching Depot, said, “In Dibrugarh Coaching Depot, we have converted 30 coaches into isolation coaches for COVID19 patients.”

“There are a total of nine cabins in one coach. Till now, we have finished the work of converting 22 coaches into isolation coaches and the eight others will be completed soon. We have started the work of conversion since March 31,” Yadav told Northeast Now.

Yadav also informed that 60-80 employees are working at the Dibrugarh Coaching Depot in a rotation manner to compete the task.

“The railway coaches have been converted into isolation coaches with all facilities. Our employees are working in shift-wise to complete the task. At the Dibrugarh railway workshop, another 30 coaches have been converted into isolation coaches,” Yadav said.

A pedal-operated hand washing arrangement has been set up at the Dibrugarh Coaching Depot for the railway employees to wash their hands.

“We have made the pedal-operated hand washing system so that one can operate it by using leg and wash hands without using hands,” Yadav informed.

Avik Chakraborty is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dibrugarh. He can be reached at: [email protected]