Outrage over Lucknow rail staff spraying cold water to disperse passengers sleeping on platforms

Outrage over railway staff spraying cold water on passengers at Lucknow station, highlighting lack of public shelters in winter.

A viral video, showing railway staff at Lucknow’s Charbagh station spraying cold water on passengers — mostly women, children and elderly people — resting on platforms on a winter night, provoked outrage across social media on Sunday (December 29, 2024). The incident, which allegedly took place on Christmas night, has been termed a “shame on humanity” and “heartbreaking” by social media users, while the political Opposition said it shows that Uttar Pradesh’s capital lacks public shelters or cheap lodging facilities to house the poor during the bitter cold of winter.

In the face of the harsh criticism, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Lucknow office issued a statement asking travellers to rest in waiting areas, dormitories and retiring rooms instead of using the platforms. “Necessary instructions have been issued to the cleaning staff and CHI [Chief Health Inspector]. Passengers are also suggested to refrain from sleeping at the platform. At the station, ample facilities like waiting hall, dormitories and retiring rooms are available, which can be availed for convenience,” the DRM, Lucknow said.

“Employees of Lucknow railway station woke up people sleeping at the station by throwing cold water on them. Railway workers have given the reason behind doing this as cleanliness of the station. If cleaning was to be done, there was another way to wake up. What was the need to commit inhumanity by throwing cold water on a sleeping person in the cold?” asked Javed Rashid Khan, in a post on X.

“In this cold weather, children, elderly and other common people are being awakened by pouring water on them and this miracle has happened at Charbagh railway station in Lucknow. The video is viral on social media and is said to be of the night of 25 December 2024. Such ignorance in the cold season is shaming humanity. Minister of Railways please take cognizance,” posted another user Ashutosh Patel, linking to the video.

“The video is heartbreaking. It shows insensitivity of highest order by the railway authorities, but also brings to light the broader issue of the lack of public shelter homes or ‘doss houses’ by government at key places in Lucknow. If ‘doss houses’ were functional near the railway station, poor people would have taken shelter in winter, rather than sleeping on platforms,” said Anil Yadav, a senior U.P. Congress leader.