City railway station plans solid waste audit system

With four tonne of waste generated daily, Bangalore City Railway Station, has planned to undertake solid waste audit as also segregate and economically dispose garbage for recycling. 

The move is aimed at eschewing expenditure close to Rs 20 lakh a month railways incurs to dispose waste through a private contractor, South Western Railways Divisional Railway Manager Anil K Aggarwal, said, on Friday. 

Once railways recycles garbage it will help in improving cleanliness on the premises, he said, launching a waste disposal management programme at Bangalore City Railway Station.

Presently Bangalore City Railway Station houses a water recycling plant where eight lakh litre of water is recycled daily and utilised for cleaning trains and platforms.

According to Citizens Group Solid Waste Management expert Ramakanth 18 to 20 trees have to be cut for producing one tonne of paper and seven to eight gallons of water goes into the process. If railways can shred and recycle waste papers such as utilised tickets, charts etc., several trees could be saved to protect environment. 

Similarly, plastic bags, aluminium cans and waste papers dumped by passengers can be recycled and reused to save resources, he said adding dustbins, spittoons placed at vantage positions in railway stations and awareness among passengers, can ensure cleanliness in stations. 

Penalty

Meanwhile, the South Western Railway division has sent a proposal to penalise those littering the trains or railway stations to the Railway Board and Railway Protection Force personnel be given powers to do so. 

Officials said as per Railway Board guidelines, penalty is imposed for activities affecting cleanliness in trains and railway station premises and Travelling Ticket Examiners given powers to impose such penalties.