On platform No. 1 dogs can be seen roaming around

LUCKNOW: Charbagh railway station, which catapulted into the railway ministry's league of India's Top 10, has now turned into a haunt of street dogs that can be seen squatting at a sniffing distance from the station master's office or even baring their fangs at commuters. The canines are running amok with six dog bite cases reported on platforms in seven days.

On Monday, a TOI recce found stray dogs roaming on platforms, barking and chasing away passengers or snatching food. On platform No. 1, at least eight dogs were on rampage, while five stood ferociously blocking passage at the old foot-over bridge. Also, a hound of four was spotted on other platforms even as panicking passengers were negotiating their way towards the station exit. Some commuters said, they complained to railway authorities, but to no avail.

Records at the office of Charbagh Railway Station manager revealed six passengers had lodged complaints after being bitten by dogs over the past week.Dheeraj Kumar Gupta, who was bitten by a stray dog last week, had to miss the train and rush home. Back at Charbagh on Monday to take a train to Varanasi, he told TOI, "I came to board a train to Delhi on Tuesday night and was standing near the 'parcel section' on Platform No. 1, when a dog charged at me and sank his teeth on my leg. My family lodged a complaint, the next day. I am returning to the station after a week, but nothing has changed here," he said.

‘Dog bit my brother’

Alpesh Kumar said, “I was with my brother on platform 3 when the canines chased us. A dog catching squad was also there as a stray bit my brother,” he said. Director, Charbagh railway station, Sudip Kumar, said, “We requested Lucknow Municipal Corporation to deploy dog-catching squads and launch a sterilization drive every week. But dogs sneak into platforms through the porous boundary walls. We are planning our next drive on Wednesday,” he said.

LMC chief veterinary officer Arvind Kumar Rao said, “We catch dogs, sterilise them and leave them back in the Charbagh vicinity. As per court orders, we have to send dogs back to their habitat,” he said.

