Rawalpindi:
A dangerous infestation of poisonous snakes was reported on platform n ° 6 in the railway site of Rawalpindi station, leaving the railways deeply alarmed. Five poisonous snakes have already been killed in the region during last week.
The platform 6 serves as a vital operational center, operating as the main point of loading and unloading for freight arriving from Karachi, Lahore and Quetta. This is also where trains undergo routine inspections, fitness assessments and minor repairs. The personnel of six different rail services are parked there.
The surface of the platform remains fully not paved. Following the current season of the monsoon, wild grass, dense weeds and cannabis have developed, reaching heights going up to three feet, thus creating ideal conditions for snakes to hide and reproduce.
The area is frequented daily by the staff of transport and trolley services, traffic, mechanics, locomotor, signal and goods. These teams are responsible for the tasks, including the in -depth cleaning of the coaches, the washing of the seats, the technical inspections and the repair of the engines, the bogies, the lighting systems and the compartments of goods.
However, due to thick vegetation, workers are forced to perform their tasks while it was seated in the middle of high grass and bushes, with snakes appearing frequently without warning.
Representatives of the union of the union of rail workers and the Mazdoor Ittehad railway report that the risk has become so pronounced that, during operations, two workers are now assigned only to monitor the activity of snakes while others continue their functions. Repeated calls have been launched on the railways of the divisional superintendent (DS) to eliminate the vegetation, but so far, no significant measure has been taken.
The fact that the railway hospital will miss the problem more would not have been anti-coming, injections or vaccines required in the event of a snake bite. The union leaders warned that if a worker was injured or fatally bitten, all the affiliated railway unions will deposit a murder case against the competent authorities.
They pointed out that the monsoon period marks the peak breeding season for poisonous snakes, considerably increasing the risk for employees.
The Railway Workers Union, Loco Shed Union and Railway Mazdoor Ittehad have jointly demanded that the DS and the director general of the railways make an urgent visit to the platform 6 and immediately order the authorization of the invaded vegetation. Otherwise, they threatened to organize a demonstration in front of the division office.
In response, a spokesperson for the DS office confirmed that the divisional superintendent had taken note of the situation and that grass reduction operations will start shortly.
