What guidelines did the Railways give?
The client, Indian Railways, had tried all possible means to eradicate the chronic menace of rodents but nothing worked. No agency was able to provide complete solution to this pest problem. Therefore, the client had a simple question – whether Hicare could deliver. In the guidelines, priority was given to the use of approved chemicals and methods to get rid of the pest. The Railways wanted the treatment to be environment friendly and emphasised on a proper disposal process to prevent the spread of diseases.
When we actually started work at NDLS, the condition was pathetic. Rodents were creating havoc and nuisance at the railway station. It was getting difficult to keep the pests in check because of high traffic (256 trains daily, both departure and arrival) excess garbage lying around, improper sanitation and heavy footfall.
How did your company go about eradicating the pests?
Hicare Pest Management combines all available pest control techniques into a Programme for Suppressing Pest Population below threshold levels. We continuously monitored the efficiency of the treatment with the latest training and equipment. We wanted to eliminate the source of the pest.
We had a specialised team, well-versed with pest behaviour and identification of live burrows working at the station. The entire process was divided in segments, implemented through specialised teams:
Initiation of the project by technical experts based on their study on identification of critical areas.
Measuring infestation levels at fixed intervals to design effective treatment.
Allocation of responsibilities to experts in a particular area of the work
One team was responsible to treat the specific area located by technical experts, while another was responsible for making a scientific analysis of the species of the trapped rodent. There was one team which was responsible for collecting and disposing off the dead rat, while another was entrusted with the task of finding out the new infestation and rodent prone areas.
Based on the feedback from the New Delhi Railway Authority regarding the reduction in rodent infestation at the station, we can assign the station as rodent free. We also have a contract with the Mumbai Central railway station and the ISS team is working there in similar fashion.
How did your company go about eradicating the pests?
We used all approved pesticides and practices along with highly-trained service technicians and supervisors. We made training modules for all the technicians working at the Delhi railway station and conducted training twice a week. This helped us in understanding the new strategy and the current status of service delivery. With the help of available technology and expertise, ISS Hicare was able to manage the rodent problem at the NDLS within four to five months. Being a multinational company, we left no stone unturned to get quick results as expected by the client.
Besides the tracks and platforms, which other areas were made rodent free in the railway station?
We covered the areas between the two outer signals on the tracks and the areas between Pahadganj to Ajmeri Gate. Within these areas there were slums and other residential colonies and people living there appreciated our efforts saying their life had become hassle free. Passengers resting at the platform or its retiring/waiting rooms after or before the journey appreciated the effort by our team. The worst affected area was the cloak room where almost 2500 passengers deposit their luggage on a daily basis. After the treatment, passengers were able to leave their luggage behind without any tension of it being ripped apart by the rodents.
