The local trains in Mumbai are considered the most feasible mode of travel yet, we never spare a thought for the railway motormen.
Test by yoga institute reveal that psychological ailments pose greater risk than physical ones
The local trains in Mumbai are considered the most feasible mode of travel yet, we never spare a thought for the railway motormen, who work round the clock and keep the lifeline of Mumbai going.
But the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute in association with the Bangalore based Foundation for assessment and Integration of Health Systems (FAITH) has decided to do so. It has initiated a study to evaluate the mental and physical well-being of Mumbai’s motormen. The study will have 40 engine drivers from the Western and Central Railways as the subject.
The motormen have undergone a series of tests before starting a month-long yoga course from Monday. Of the 80 engine drivers, who have undergone the test, 40 will undergo a yoga course for a month and the other 40 will not. The institute will then study the difference between the two sets to evaluate the affect of yoga on the high stress lives of the city’s motormen.
“At the end of the month, we will study the difference between the group that practiced yoga and the one that did not,” said Parmanand Aggarwal of Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute. The institute also intends to present the findings to the railway ministry.
The preliminary medical findings after the first round of tests have thrown some worrisome facts. About 50 per cent of them showed lung obstruction. “Most of their cardio-respiratory efficiency is damaged,” said Naveen Visweswaraiah, director-administration and services, FAITHS.
The tests also indicated that the reflex action of most of the motormen above 40 years had slowed down. “Most of them also had muscle fatigue,” said Visweswaraiah. “While the young drivers are suffering from physical problems the older ones have mental fatigue,” he added. Erratic work hours and irregular sleeping patterns have contributed to their ill health, he said.
However the psychological ailments posed more risks than physical ones as the motormen were found suffering from immense stress and anxiety. “A motorman has to pass through 240 signals in about an hour while having to stop every two minutes in a precise location in the platform,” said motorman instructor Milind Kale.
d_sumitra@dnaindia.net
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