Steps are strewn with trash, the toilets stink, the floor is unswept, and the elevators are dirty. Layers of dust can be found everywhere, but prominent by their absence is the cleaning staff with its paraphernalia.
This is not the status of any government-run bus stand or railways station, but of the several swanky Metro Rail stations being operated across the city by the L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited, the concessionaire for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project in the city.
Pigeon droppings, which were confined to the MGBS station earlier, are now ubiquitous, and mark even the escalator railings by their presence.
“Once I involuntarily rested my hand on the staircase railing, and it was splotched with pigeon droppings. I could not even wash my hand immediately, for which I would have had to sweep out. Maintenance of the Metro Rail stations has been pathetic for quite some time,” said Preethi Das, a commuter.
It’s as if nobody is bothered about the hygiene at the most prized facility in the city. Toilets are one more area where upkeep is woefully lacking.
“We have stopped using the toilets despite having to work here for hours. They are always dirty, and unflushed,” shared a woman employee at a station.
Since its launch six years ago till a few months ago, the Hyderabad Metro Rail stations had been one among the few public utilities maintained with the utmost attention. The maintenance staff would be seen at every location, especially during off-peak hours, scrubbing, cleaning, sweeping and mopping.
It is learnt that the L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail has proposed a fare hike recently, which the government has been opposing in view of the impending elections.
Fare fixation committee for Hyderabad Metro Rail constituted by the Central government, of which special chief secretary, Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Arvind Kumar is a member, is learnt to have submitted its report on the fare revision, which is not yet implemented.
Meanwhile, the concessionaire has taken a decision to confine the 10% concession offered on smart cards, hours before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m., thereby making up for some loss suffered. Lack of upkeep, too, is widely seen as a measure to reduce the overheads.
Chief Operating Officer, L&T MRHL, Sudhir Chiplunkar, when contacted, denied any decision to compromise on maintenance and upkeep. He said routine inspections have not found any laxity in maintenance, and attributed the pigeon droppings only to a few stations where bird feeding is heavy.
On toilets, he said they are being handed over to Sulabh International which will convert them into paid facilities.
