LUDHIANA: Zoology department experts of the
Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) stepped in to deal with the menace of rodents at Ludhiana railway station, which is not only causing damage to railway infrastructure, but also leading to major mishaps. Ludhiana station director
Abhinav Singla stated that
PAU experts from Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) were called by the
Ferozepur Division authorities to get the latest technology to deal with the rodent menace, which is causing damage to railway infrastructure rapidly.
“Commercial inspectors of different stations under the jurisdiction of the Ferozepur Division attended a special seminar on Thursday in the university premises to get to know about some unique formula that is easy to prepare and effective in use as well. In the initial stage, experts had given us a demonstration regarding how to bring the formula into use. The formula provided by experts contains zinc sulphide, grains, and sugar powder (20g each). After getting them mixed properly, we have to place the mixture in rodent-prone areas, and wait for the earliest possible results,” said the station director.
Meanwhile, sources at the Ludhiana railway station claimed that due to lack of coordination among different departments, rodents again appeared at the city railway station, mostly on platform number 1, 2, and 3, which were commonly used by local passengers, as almost all long route arrivals and departures were from these platforms.
Because of the rodent menace, several holes have appeared under the railway track, diminishing their strength, that could lead to major mishaps, as several trains pass through these tracks. Last year also, railways had taken help from PAU, but due to no cleaning of railway tracks, rats find sufficient food to sustain for a long time and breed without any suffering,” sources claimed.
Speaking on the occasion,
Head of Zoology Department in PAU, SS
Hundal, stated that in a combined training session, railway officials were made aware about how to tackle the menace of rodents and save railway infrastructure from damage. “We are ready to work with the railways, and will cover all major stations under the Ferozepur Division, so that railway infrastructure does not lose its strength because of the attacks of rodents,” say PAU experts.
