Taking serious notice of the increasing presence and breeding of snakes in the shunting and goods areas, across the nine platforms, and within a one-kilometre radius of Rawalpindi Railway Station, authorities deployed machinery to remove overgrown vegetation, including three-foot-high wild bushes, grass, and cannabis-like weeds.
In response to a report published in The Express Tribune highlighting the issue, Rawalpindi Railways Divisional Superintendent (DS), Nooruddin Dawar, took prompt action and ordered the immediate clearance of overgrown vegetation from platforms and adjacent areas.
A heavy-duty automated grass-cutting machine was swiftly deployed to the shunting and goods area and began operations from Platform Nos 3 to 10. The clearance work will continue through Friday and is expected to be fully completed by Saturday.
The DS convened meetings with staff from the Goods, Carriage & Wagon, Cleaning, and Signal departments, briefing them on the operation. He emphasised that the safety of railway personnel is of utmost importance, and warned that negligence would not be tolerated.
Issuing an urgent directive, the DS instructed Divisional Engineer (DEN) Tayyab, Permanent Way Inspector (PWI) Rawalpindi, Inspector of Works-I (IUW-I) Nasir Jadoon, and Inspector of Works-II (IUW-II) Murtaza to immediately initiate emergency grass clearance along Lines 5 to 10, with a 72-hour deadline for completion. The operation commenced on Thursday.
In addition, the DS has directed the Railway Police and other relevant staff to launch anti-snake spraying and extermination measures across all affected areas starting Friday.
Owing to recent monsoon rains, staff from the Carriage & Wagon, Goods, Traffic, and Shunting departments had reported an alarming increase in snakes, insects, and other pests, with formal complaints previously submitted regarding the hazard.
Leaders of the Railway Labour Alliance, including Mubarak Hussain, Shaukat Ali Awan, Shaukat Khan, Zahid Mehmood, Irfan Minhas, and Fida Hussain, have welcomed the prompt action and commencement of clearance operations in the shunting area.
They urged the administration to implement a regular and systematic weed and grass maintenance plan across the station premises to avoid similar threats in the future.
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