WR appoints nodal officers to keep railway stations free of stray dogs

The move comes amid concerns about a growing number of stray dogs at railway stations, particularly in crowded areas where their presence can pose a safety risk to commuters, officials said

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has appointed nodal officers to keep its railway stations free of stray dogs, following directives from the Supreme Court last year, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The move comes amid concerns about a growing number of stray dogs at railway stations, particularly in crowded areas where their presence can pose a safety risk to commuters, officials said. (HT PHOTO)

The move comes amid concerns about a growing number of stray dogs at railway stations, particularly in crowded areas where their presence can pose a safety risk to commuters, officials said.

Station superintendents and station masters will now be responsible for keeping their respective premises free of stray dogs. They have been directed to regularly inspect the station premises, coordinate with municipal authorities to remove stray dogs, and take measures to prevent the canines from entering railway premises, officials said.

The station heads will also have to maintain records of the action taken and submit compliance reports to the divisional office whenever required. The names and contact details of the designated nodal officers are expected to be prominently displayed at station entrances, allowing commuters to report the presence of stray dogs or related concerns.

An internal circular regarding the appointment of nodal officers was issued about 10 days ago to staff at railway stations across WR’s Mumbai Division, which handles millions of commuters daily.

Railway officials said the responsibility assigned to station heads is also intended to improve coordination between Western Railway and the civic administration. Earlier, action against stray dogs at railway stations required coordination among multiple departments, potentially delaying responses to complaints.

WR has sent letters to around 25-30 officers from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards along the Western Line between Churchgate and Borivali to ensure that stray dogs are removed from railway premises, officials said.

“It will be BMC’s responsibility to provide shelters for the dogs that are caught from the railway stations. The nodal officers are responsible for informing the ward officers of the BMC who will take the dogs from the railway stations,” said a WR official on condition of anonymity.

“We will be compiling a list of the number of complaints and the total number of dogs spotted at these stations. This will be submitted to the BMC,” said another WR official.

With station-level officers now specifically responsible for the issue, the railway administration expects complaints to be communicated to the concerned BMC ward offices more quickly and action to be monitored at the station level.