Making money from garbage: Railways' ingenious plan

Besides selling tickets on its trains, railways could soon be in the business of vending garbage piling in the platforms of its stations.

The proposal to sell garbage to a waste management group is part of its effort to determine revenue making opportunities other than passenger and freight fares.

“We are examining a proposal from a waste management group which has offered Rs 1.50 per kg for garbage to be collected at railway stations,” said a senior railway official involved in exploring various avenues for generating non- tariff revenues.

A separate non-fare revenue directorate has been created to explore revenue-making sources that could substitute its earnings from ticket sales and goods bookings.  The waste management group will clear away garbage from the stations 24/7. “Collection and disposal (of garbage) will be the company’s responsibility. Waste thus collected could be used as manure or to generate power,” the official said.

The proposal also puts the onus on the company to insure garbage collectors against risk and provide black plastic bags to carry away the solid waste from the stations.

The company has offered to clear garbage at 12 stations, including Amritsar, Ambala, Haridwar, Jammu, Katra, Dehradun, Moradabad, Saharanpur, CST, Mumbai Central and Dadar. Besides the spotless maintenance of the stations, garbage collection also brings in vital revenue to the railways’ coffers, the official said. 

A substantial amount of garbage, both biodegradable and non-degradable, is being generated at the stations by passengers, visitors, vendors and staff. The solid waste is currently being moved to the nearest designated municipal location, which requires considerable effort.