Title - Central Warehousing Corporation godown raises a stink

VADODARA: Hours after more than 24,000 bags of wheat got drenched in rains at Vadodara railway station on Sunday morning, the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) was quick to blame the contractor for failing to move the bags in time. CWC officials also pointed fingers towards the railways stating that it didn't have good storage facilities.However, CWC's godown in Chhaani meant to stock thousands of metric tones of wheat too isn't in good shape either. The godown spread on a big piece of land is located behind PVR multiplex.When TOI visited the godown on Monday afternoon the entire premises was water-logged. There was no concrete road and the workers offloading the grain stock were seen wading through muddy water to reach the building. "We have been asked to keep all the people including media persons out of the CWC godown. No one is allowed inside," said the security guard.Truckloads of wheat bags kept coming even as the contractor, who is being blamed for the wastage, was seen supervising the offloading of bags brought in from the railway station's yard. "The wheat bags brought to the godown are completely safe and kept in suitable conditions," said a CWC employee while showing the godown rooms.However, stray dogs were seen roaming freely on the wheat bags stored inside the godown on Monday afternoon. Large quantity of wheat was lying loose on the floors. Though the godown roofs were not leaking, the bags were not stored in hygienic condition. Stench was emanating from the water-logged roads around the godown as there was no outlet for water. CWC officials said that the godown can store up to 16,000 metric tonnes of food grains. The wheat bags sent by Food Corporation of India (FCI) are for poor people as well as for sale in open market.

"The godown was constructed over 30 years ago. During the last several years many residential colonies have come up around the godown and the height of the roads has been increased. When it rains, all the water flows to our premises. We plan to lay pipelines to drain out the water," said CWC regional manager V K Tyagi.

When informed about the stray dogs in the godown, Tyagi said, "We will take necessary action to prevent this." A CWC godown employee however said that a lot of wheat bags get drenched in water during the rains and the water-logged premises also pose health hazards.