Salem Division Provides Disposble/Collapsible Garbage Bags In Vestibules Of Train Coaches To Keep Coaches Clean

As part of Swachch Bharath/Clean India campaign initiated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Indian Railways is taking various steps to keep the railway station and other railway premises clean by adopting various measures. 

Dumping of garbage and other wastes in the railway passenger coaches is a major issue that Indian Railways are trying to tackle, by means of frequent awareness campaigns, distribution of pamphlets to passengers, advertisements, and even levy of penalty for defacing the railway premises.  In particular, the vestibules in between the coaches have become a dumping ground for garbage/waste by the passengers, that likely to spill over to tracks through the gaps in the vestibules, apart from emanating bad odor, much to the chagrin of passengers.

As a major step towards keeping the railway passenger coaches clean, Salem Division of Southern Railway has come out with a novel idea of placing a disposable/collapsible garbage bags in the vestibules in between the coaches.  In this, a plastic bag will be attached to two loops that are fastened to the hand rails available in the vestibules. The bags measuring 45” height x 20” width, and` costing approximately about Rs.100/- each, will be able to hold garbage up to 25 Kgs, are made of polythene of microns approved by the Govt. of India (i.e. not less than 40 microns). The placement of the disposable/collapsible garbage bag has been fixed in such a way not to hinder the movement of passengers.

These disposable/collapsible garbage bags have been designed by the Mechanical Branch of Salem Division, under the supervision of Shri Shubranshu, Divisional Railway Manager, and Shri Ajay Kumar Jaiswal, Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Salem Division. The design will be implemented soon by all the Divisions in Southern Railway to start with and will be expanded to other zonal railways in phases.

The disposable/collapsible garbage bag is at present fitted in all the coaches of trains that have primary maintenance at Coimbatore/Erode, viz. T.No. 12674/12673-Cheran Express,  T.No.12084/12083, Coimbatore Mayavaram jan Shatabdi Express, 12647/12648 Coimbatore Nizamuddin Kongu Express, 16614/16613 Coimbatore Rajkot Express, 16618/16617 Coimbatore Rameswaram Express, 16610/16612 Coimbatore-Nagercoil Express, 22616/22618 Coimbatore Tirupathy Express, 16616/16615 Coimbatore Mannargudi Chemmozhi Express and 22650/22649 Erode Chennai Yercaud Express. In addition, in the long distance trains that are cleaned at Erode (which is a Clean Train Station) from 06.00 Hrs. to 22.00 Hrs., and in trains that arrive and leave Coimbatore at day time with a short stay such as Train No. 12680/12679 Coimbatore-Chennai Intercity Express, such disposable/collapsible garbage bag has been fitted in every coach. These bags will be removed at the destination and disposed of safely, as per norms.

In T.No. 12674/12673-Cheran Express that will proceed as pairing rake for Train No. 12655/12656 Chennai Ahmedabad Navjeeevan Express, Salem Division has provided 2 coach attendants in the air-conditiioned classes for replacement/disposal of garbage bags, who will travel up to Ahmedabad and return. In addition, Salem Division has planned to appoint private on-board cleaning service providers for T.No.12084/12083, Coimbatore Mayavaram Jan Shatabdi Express, 12647/12648 Coimbatore Nizamuddin Kongu Express & 16614/16613 Coimbatore Rajkot Express, who will ensure replacement/disposal of garbage bags in all the coaches, for which tenders have been called for.

Because of placement of disposable/collapsible garbage bags in vestibules, coaches will be free of garbage, and spillage in the vestibules will be eliminated. Chances of theft of plastic containers/bins that are being provided at present in coaches are prone for theft/misuse, which is eliminated by the introduction of disposable/collapsible garbage bags.

Over and above all these steps, Salem Division is also contemplating a plan, to supply disposable polythene bags to the passengers in every coach, so that they can drop all the waste/disposable in the bags that will be collected at intervening Stations of Salem Division.