Several colonies and settlements of Pakistan Railways (PR) lower-tier workers are in disrepair due to years of neglect, according to The Express Tribune.
Residents say the latest rains and flooding have exacerbated the issue.
Mubarak Hussain, the leader of the Union of Railway Workers, stated that the difficulties in railway quarters were getting worse by the day. The damaged dwellings’ ceilings and walls are collapsing, posing a serious threat to the residents.
According to The Express Tribune, two roofs in the government quarters have collapsed so far. There have been no reported fatalities.
Another employee union official, Chaudhry Aamir, said the roof of a house near the Railway Bakery Chowk had collapsed.
“This is the second incident involving the collapse of the roof of the Bakery Chowk railway quarters.” “However, the railway administration has failed to survey or repair the old houses,” he claims.
He also warned that these quarters are unsafe, putting the individuals who live in them in danger.
The railway quarters, which date back to 1912, have the greatest issues. These stables are 12 feet long and wide, with a 10-foot yard in front, a small kitchen and a washroom. Back in the day, it would house a horse and its groom. The Express Tribune stated that these stables numbered in the thousands.
These stables were built beside railway tracks and turned up the railways, who transformed them into living quarters for personnel on the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) four.
Other 335 residences were assigned to employees and officers during the creation of Pakistan.
According to The Express Tribune, these quarters currently contain 11 Rawalpindi Railway residential colonies, including CDL Workshop Colony, Traffic Colony, Commercial Colony, Locomotive Shed Colony, Construction Colony, Talab Colony, and Carriage Colony.
These quarters are in disrepair, with leaking roofs and walls in various degrees of wear and tear, and the sewage and sanitary systems no longer function.
According to The Express Tribune, there was overgrown foliage and the region appeared unkempt, and residents reported a lack of water, electricity and gas.
Residents claimed that the quarters had not been maintained in 20 years, and that any modest repairs that had been made were washed away in the rain within two to three months.
Meanwhile, sources in the Railway Rawalpindi Division’s Divisional Superintendent’s Office claimed that the divisional superintendent has ordered a survey of these railway quarters, after which funds will be allocated and repair and painting work would begin.