A ‘fully integrated mechanized cleaning system’ at the Raipur Railway Station would soon be installed at the Raipur Railway Station, officials stated.
Quite recently, while giving new dimension to ‘Clean India Mission’, the South East Central Railway a(SECR) Raipur Division will take up a series of initiatives to stop open defecation and dumping of garbage on and near Railway tracks.
Under this initiative, SECR has approached Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) for construction of toilets in slum areas close to Railway tracks.
“To prohibit defecation on and near tracks, the Railways is in talks with RMC for construction of toilets in such areas. The Railways will provide necessary assistance to RMC during construction of toilets. We will try to see that the encroachment in Railway areas should be minimised so that the problem could be eradicated from the root,” said Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rahul Gautam.
Moreover, the Railways is going launch a campaign to spread awareness about the impact of open defecation on health of people, said Gautam, adding that concerned authority is taking requisite efforts to keep tabs on dumping of garbage on and close to Railway tracks.
The DRM further said that “ SECR is taking the issue very seriously as it is linked with the health of Railway staff working on tracks.”
It may be recalled that a joint campaign to ensure cleanliness and check spread of filth on and near Railway tracks was recently launched by RMC and SECR’s Raipur division. Under this campaign, the Railway administration along with RMC’s teams from zone-1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 has launched a massive cleanliness drive from January 1 this year.
In June month last year, SECR had adopted a ‘zero tolerance policy' for any act of littering in its premises in the entire Raipur Railway Division, officials stated.
The Division has appealed to the passengers, employees and even the general public to help keep stations, colonies, premises, workshops, production units, coaching depot, tracks and railway crossings always clean. According to SECR officials, people caught littering around Railway properties are fined.
Moreover, in a bid to raise the level of awareness among the commuters on the importance of sanitation, the SECR has continued with an elaborate cleanliness drive in all the railway stations of the circle.
While launching the campaign, the senior Railway officials had urged the travellers to co-operate with the Railway administration to keep the station premises and the trains neat and tidy. Stating that the authority was taking all necessary steps to provide a hygienic atmosphere to the passengers, the officials said adding that the Railways alone could not improve the sanitary conditions until it gets active support from the passengers.