Gwalior rly station ranked among three dirtiest

Gwalior Railway Station, one of the busiest railway stations of the Northern Railways, finds its name among the top three dirtiest railway stations across the country. Covered with filth and waste, the station is fast becoming a very dirty and smelly station.

In a survey conducted by the Indian Railways to ascertain the cleanliness of Railway Stations across the country, Gwalior got the 73rd rank out of 75 railway stations.

One can find lot of waste and dirt in the open areas, toilets, waiting rooms along with vendor areas, drinking water booths, waiting rooms, over bridge and near the escalator. Packs of stray dogs can also be seen sleeping on the platforms and even in the waiting rooms.

Jhansi Divisional Railway Manager, AK Mishra, along with his team conducted a surprise check of the Gwalior Railway Station yesterday. During the inspection tour the Automatic Ticket Wending Machine (ATVM) was found to be unmanned even while there was a long queue of passengers waiting to buy tickets. The clerk in charge of the ATVM was found to be roaming around talking on his mobile. A few stray dogs were sleeping in front of the ATVM and the RPF had a tough time chasing them away. Seeing a broken pipe near the ATVM machine the DRM asked the Station Superintend why it was lying broken.

As he did not get any convincing response the DRM warned the SS and other officials of consequences if things didn’t improve before his next visit. He also conducted a meeting with the Gwalior Railway officials and instructed them to remove the dirt and waste from the station premises and keep it neat and clean.

During the last inspection tour it was claimed by the DRM that steps are being taken to improve the condition of the Gwalior Railway Station. The ground reality is that the railway officials at the Gwalior Station have neither the time nor the inclination to treat cleanliness and hygiene as priorities.

The passengers too had a tough time because of the inspection tour as the RPF and GRPF personnel were overenthusiastic in clearing paths for the DRM and his team. The DRM refused to talk to the press saying that it was not an inspection tour but a tour for a meeting with the local railway officials.