SCR embarks on clean drive

To turn Secunderabad, Renigunta into clean stations this fiscal

Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway has accorded high priority for cleanliness in the rail premises and would organise a 'sustained and long enough drive' to achieve the goal.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s ‘Clean India’ programme', SCR general manager PK Srivastava today said the mission’s launch on October 2 “marks a new beginning” towards creating a clean Indian Railways.

Speaking on SCR’s measures for making rail premises litter-free, he said the division was contemplating new measures including levying huge fines and punishment for the offenders. “Currently, such instances are being tracked by CCTV cameras,” he said. Such measures were helping them to monitor issues and maintain clean rail premises.

For the ‘Clean India’ drive, all rail divisions across the country would administer a special pledge formulated by the Cabinet Secretariat which says ‘Neither we will make dirty nor allow others create it’.

As part of the cleanliness drive, the division is aiming at transforming Secunderabad and Renigunta into clean  stations this financial year. Currently, Vijayawada and Guntakal in Anantapur district, hold the distinction.  

It has so far fitted bio-toilets in 300 train coaches and would add 260 more in the next two months. An on-board house keeping cadre to deal with all the issues pertaining to cleanliness immediately is also being planned. To develop awareness, it would display interactive publicity material within coaches.

SCR said it had received around 400 passenger complaints in the last six months from the Secunderabad station, of which only three pertained to cleanliness.

On the day, the general manager would also launch an all-in-one security helpline contact number 1322 to deal with cases involving theft, security lapse, and issues that need investigation by the Rail Police. Indian Railways already provides special security arrangements to women passengers at most of the busy rail terminals by employing Nirbhaya squads.