Now, sip your 'garam chai' in 'kulhad' instead of plastic cup at railway stations

This initiative will be the contribution of the Railways towards a plastic-free India, Goyal said

In an initiative towards a plastic-free India, tea will be sold in environment-friendly 'kulhads' (earthen cups) instead of plastic cups at all railway stations in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.

He was speaking at an event organised at the Dhigawara railway station in Rajasthan's Alwar district to mark the inauguration of the newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section under the North Western Railway.

"At present tea is given in 'kulhad' at nearly 400 railway stations in the country. The railway is working on a plan that tea will be sold only in 'kulhads' at all railway stations in the country. This will be the contribution of Railways towards plastic-free India," he said.

Kulhads save the environment and lakhs of people can get employment from it, Goyal added.

In 2004, then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had introduced 'kulhads' to keep railway stations clean and provide large scale employment to kulhad makers.

However, gradually, 'kulhads' were replaced with plastic and paper cups. This was mainly due to short supply of 'kulhads' and also higher cost compared to cheaper plastic and paper cups.

Last year, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had written to Goyal to make 'kulhads' mandatory in 100 railway stations. Gadkari also suggested airports and state transport undertakings having tea stalls at bus depots to make the use of 'kulhads' mandatory.

Gadkari who also holds MSME portfolio earlier also took initiative through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to supply electrical equipment to potters for production of 'kulhads'.