A hygienic workplace is an employee’s basic right

Central Railway motormen sit in the main hall of CSMT in protest over severe sanitation issues. Pic/Ashish Raje

Central Railway is using ultramodern borescope cameras to trace dead rodents in the lobby and designated areas for motormen and train managers at the sprawling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), an official said.

The move came after those using these lobbies, who are part of the frontline force of the railway network, complained of severe stench from dead rats at CSMT.

A borescope camera, also called an inspection camera, is used extensively for non-destructive testing of equipment and infrastructure when the target area is inaccessible by other means. Two borescope cameras were used to scan the ceiling area of the lobby at CSMT. Many dead rats were found, a report stated.

It is also highly unfortunate that action was taken only after complaints of a stench. It was only then that robotic cleaning of the air-conditioning ducts in the lobby was done and the place was fumigated and sterilised.

The motormen, train managers and other personnel using the lobby were temporarily shifted.

The larger point is that staff health is clearly being jeopardised because of these unsanitary conditions. There is also the grim sceptre of a disease outbreak to be considered if these conditions persist.

Till a permanent solution is found, there must be extremely regular checks conducted. This can be as frequent as every two days, considering how grim this scenario is.

This also affects the mental health of employees to a degree, given that these conditions are absolutely deplorable. Those in charge need to factor in this angle, too, and the detrimental effect it has on the workforce.