A viral video showing sanitation workers at Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station dousing sleeping passengers with cold water has triggered widespread outrage on social media. The incident, which occurred on December 25 amid biting cold wave conditions, took place on platforms 8 and 9.The footage captures sanitation staff using mugs to splash water on passengers who were resting on the platform. The passengers, hastily gathering their belongings, including blankets, were forced to vacate the area while the platform was cleaned. Many social media users condemned the act as “inhuman” and “highly condemnable.”In the video shared by an X user, Hate Detector, the cleaning staff are seen splashing water on sleeping passengers, including children. The cleaning staff defended their action stating the passengers could return after cleaning. At #Lucknow’s #Charbagh railway station, passengers, some sleeping while others waiting for their trains on platforms 8 and 9 faced the insensitivity of the cleaning staff who poured water on them and that too during the cold night to wake them up.A video of the incident went… pic.twitter.com/7A6zRii9Xw— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) December 29, 2024 Criticism poured in online, with one user commenting, “Heart breaks, man. So much poverty and disregard everywhere. The station needs cleaning, but not like this.” Another remarked, “No consideration even for small kids! Where should passengers go if waiting rooms are full?”However, some defended the move, pointing out that platforms are not meant for lodging. “Railway platforms are not a place for sleeping. Use waiting rooms or dormitories,” a user wrote.Responding to the uproar, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Lucknow, SM Sharma, issued a statement addressing the incident. “The cleaning staff involved have been appropriately counselled,” the DRM said, adding that necessary instructions had been given to prevent similar occurrences.He further advised passengers against sleeping on platforms, noting that facilities such as waiting halls, dormitories, and retiring rooms are available for their use. The DRM emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness while ensuring humane treatment of passengers.The incident has reignited discussions about poverty, infrastructure inadequacies, and the treatment of vulnerable individuals at public spaces like railway stations.
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