Filthy toilets, unswept stairs and pigeon droppings: neglect plagues Metro Rail stations

Pigeon droppings, which were confined to the MGBS station earlier, are now ubiquitous, and mark even the escalator railings by their presence

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.