Railways Takes Action After Viral Garbage Incident
Indian Railways has launched an immediate sensitization drive for its contractual staff following a viral video that showed a railway employee throwing a bag of garbage from a moving train. The incident prompted the railway board to issue strict directives to all zonal officials, holding them directly responsible for training and equipping their workforce with proper waste disposal protocols.
Comprehensive Circular Issued to All Zones
In a significant move, the railway board sent a circular dated July 16, 2024 to general managers of all railway zones. The circular emphasized that since garbage management and disposal from moving trains at designated stations is primarily handled by contractual staff of catering and On-Board Housekeeping Service (OBHS) firms, the responsibility for proper training falls squarely on zonal railways.
The board has mandated that senior supervisors and concerned officers must immediately initiate "Samvaad" sessions with the affected staff. These sensitization exercises will be conducted jointly by the commercial and mechanical departments until all trains within each zonal railway are covered. The entire training program must be completed within one month, according to the strict timeline set by the railway administration.
Detailed Implementation Plan
The railway board has outlined a comprehensive approach to address the garbage disposal issue. Primary maintenance divisions have been instructed to conduct work studies to assess garbage generation patterns in each train. Based on these assessments, divisions must identify specific stations where garbage should be properly disposed of in garbage bags by OBHS and pantry car staff.
Zones have been directed to communicate the quantity of garbage bags required for each train at identified stations to OBHS supervisors and pantry car managers. The circular clearly specifies that cleaning staff at designated stations will be responsible for collecting the garbage bags once properly disposed.
In an important follow-up measure, the top railway administration has asked its staff to understand the constraints faced by onboard staff in waste disposal at identified stations. Feedback must be submitted to the board within 10 days, ensuring that practical challenges are addressed promptly.
Primary maintenance divisions will analyze disposal data and take corrective actions if there's any shortfall in the number of filled garbage bags being disposed of at nominated stations. This data-driven approach aims to create a sustainable system for managing waste across the railway network.
