Railway tracks are free space to litter and dump garbage. It is a sad commentary that we are not fully implementing the Swachha Barat Abhiyan launched by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The National Green Tribunal has asked the Railways to take a particular area as case study to dissuade people from throwing garbage on the tracks. I write some of the observations of the NGT which, according to me, are eye opener and needs to be propagated, hence this blog.
The members of the Tribunal observed that Indian Railways is part of our heritage and yet, it was creating “havoc in society”. “What will the people who come to the national capital think about the state of affairs in the country? At least you all do some work honestly”. The members appealed. The Tribunal was hearing complaint against Indian Railways on throwing garbage and littering on tracks.
“Just travel five minutes from New Delhi Railway Station towards Sadar Bazar and Sabji Mandi area and you will find huge heaps of garbage thrown on next to railway tracks”, the Tribunal observed. There is a provision of law that prohibits people from littering around stations and tracks. The Railway authorities say that they have imposed fines on people found littering around tracks but many people are poor and incapable of paying fines. True, poor people are ignorant. They need to be educated and told that it is for their hygiene and health to keep the tracks clean.
In cleanness resides God. ‘Swachhta Mein Bhagwan hain’, it is old saying. I would appeal to all my fellow Members of Parliament of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to take special care to look after the pilgrims and places of worship to maintain cleanness. I request Hema Maliniji, a Member of Parliament elected from Mathura to take up the cleanliness drive for the street leading to the shrine of Banke Behari, the presiding deity of Lord Sri Krishna in Vrindaban.
....R K Sinha
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