To keep Mumbai's railway tracks, stations and railway premises clean, Central Railway took a special initiative and conducted a large-scale cleaning campaign through 'Swachhata Rath' i.e. debris special train. In this campaign, which was conducted during the mega block of Sunday on 4th October, a total of 1.68 lakh kilograms of sludge, garbage and waste was collected and transported to the designated disposal and processing centres. A total of 881 employees including supervisors, railway employees and contract workers contributed in this campaign.
This special campaign was part of Swachhta Pakhwada and Special Campaign 6.0. Under this, a special debris block was taken from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Dadar from 11 am to 3 pm. During this period, a special EMU train was run to remove the debris.
Cleaning done at five stations
Special cleaning was carried out at CSMT, Masjid, Parel, Dadar and Matunga stations during the campaign. Sludge, garbage and other waste accumulated along the railway tracks and at identified sensitive places were collected in a systematic manner. The collected waste was packed in 2,800 sacks and transported to designated disposal centers through Swachhata Rath. Trackmen, sanitation workers, housekeeping teams and supervisors participated in the campaign. Its objective was to prevent accumulation of garbage around the tracks and to keep the station premises clean.
Garbage thrown along the railway tracks not only creates filth but can also obstruct the drainage system. This can lead to the problem of water accumulation on the tracks, especially during monsoon. In such a situation, regular cleaning through Swachhta Rath is important from the railway operation and environmental point of view. According to Central Railway, a total of 1.91 lakh cubic meters of sludge, garbage and waste was cleaned and disposed in Mumbai division during April to September.
Railway's appeal to citizens
Central Railway has appealed to the common citizens not to throw garbage on the railway tracks and railway premises. Railways says that special initiatives like Swachhta Rath are aimed at ensuring clean tracks, clean stations and better passenger amenities.