Press Meet by Shri Shubhranshu, DRM, Salem

While addressing the media persons at the Divisional Office Meeting Room today (01.10.2014) Shri Shubhranshu, Divisional Railway Manager, Salem Division, Southern Railway, stated as under :

The “Swachch Bharath”-Mission Clean Indian campaign is being launched by Salem Division on 2^nd October, 2014, the Gandhi Jayanthi day, in all the 99 stations (including 6 major stations, smaller stations and halt stations) in its jurisdiction, and railway colonies. About 10,000 railway employees of the Division are expected to participate in the Cleanliness Drive and about 10,000 volunteers from outside, such as NGOs, Schools, Colleges, Social Service Organisations, etc., are expected to participate in the campaign. Since the participation is by way of Shramdhan, ie. Voluntary physical contribution, all railway staff have been requested to participate in the campaign. Railway staff who are directly involved in the operations of trains, such as Station Masters, Loco Pilots and Guards, have been exempted from the Campaign. Railway Staff Unions have also assured to cooperate in the campaign by not putting posters/banners or graffiti, in the railway premises.

The response for the call to volunteers to participate in the campaign is overwhelming and to regulate the overflow of volunteers, we have provided shifts of 2 hours for many batches of volunteers in all the stations. Requests for participations have been made to Hon’ble Members of Parliament and most of them have assured to participate in the campaign in the nearest railway station convenient to them. Local bodies such as Municipal Corporations, Panchayats, etc. have also been requested to participate in the campaign.

The Campaign is not a single day affair, but a continuous process for years to come. In the railway colonies, residents have been educated to keep the surroundings clean. Handouts in both English and Tamil have been distributed to the colony residents, carrying messages such as not to throw garbage in public places, use the dust bins, segregate the degradable and non-degradable waste, etc.  About 1600 brooms/mallarams (triangular bamboo stick brooms), 150 shovels, 250 baskets, 400 cleaning brushes, 500 garbage bags have been additionally supplied to stations and colonies. Masks and hand gloves have also been provided in sufficient numbers. Special certificates congratulating the ‘Friend of Indian Railways’ have been printed to be issued to the volunteers/organisations participating in the Campaign. 2000 caps have also been procured for the Cleanliness Campaign volunteers.

In fact, Salem Division, has exceeded the expectations of Railway Board/Ministry of Railways in this Cleaning campaign. A wall painting to the length of about 1 Km has been done in the Goods Shed side wall of the Coimbatore Railway Station, carrying cleanliness and social messages, and the same will be expanded to other stations also.

Salem Division is vigorously pursuing the Green Cause and about 5000 trees have been planted in the vacant railway land near Thudiyalur, Coimbatore, with the help of an NGO and the trees will be maintained by the NGO with the support of Railways by way of drip irrigation, etc.. and in 4 to 5 years, there will be a mini forest therein. Salem Division is further planning to go for more tree plantations in this manner and about 10,000 trees will be planted thus.