Retired From Work, Still Serving With Heart
As temperatures continue to rise across the region, a group of serving and retired railway employees has taken it upon itself to provide relief to passengers and pilgrims, transforming what is otherwise the harshest season of the year into an occasion for community service.
At railway stations in and around Visakhapatnam, volunteers — many of them former railway staff — have been distributing chilled drinking water to weary travellers, offering them respite from the harsh summer conditions. Their efforts, understated yet consistent, have provided comfort to thousands of commuters passing through the stations daily.
The spirit of voluntary service finds perhaps its most visible expression at the Simhachalam Temple, where retired railway employees begin their day in the early hours, preparing and distributing simple meals — including pulihora, pongali and buttermilk — to pilgrims visiting the shrine. The volunteers manage the entire process themselves, from cooking and serving to post-distribution cleaning.
The initiative has been considerably strengthened through the involvement of the Duvvada Rail Users Association, which has brought together non-governmental organisations, local volunteers and police personnel under a coordinated framework. Under the guidance of K. Eswara Rao, what began as a modest effort has grown into an organised community service movement drawing participation from multiple quarters.
These voluntary efforts also complement the East Coast Railway Waltair Division’s initiative of providing free drinking water services at stations during the summer months, as part of its passenger welfare measures.
Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra commended the volunteers for their sustained commitment, observing that their work served as a reminder that the spirit of service does not retire with a career, but endures as a lifelong responsibility towards society.
In the face of rising temperatures, the initiative stands as a demonstration of community solidarity — one that goes beyond immediate relief to reflect a deeper sense of civic compassion.