A spirited two-day campaign to promote cleanliness and discourage littering kicked off at Nagpur Railway Station on Thursday. Organized by the Grahak Dakshata Kalyan Foundation (GDKF), the drive aims to sensitize railway passengers and keep station premises clean.
Officials Flag Off Awareness Initiative
The campaign was formally inaugurated by Additional Divisional Railway Manager Amol Pingale. He was joined by several key railway officials including Assistant Commercial Manager (Catering) Pradeep Prasad, Passenger Amenities Inspector Atul Srivastava, Station Manager Pramod Raut, and Deputy Station Manager (Commercial) Mahesh Meshram. The event marks part of the Foundation's broader "Jagrit Desh, Jagrit Grahak" initiative and is also being conducted at Ajni Railway Station.
Volunteers Engage Passengers Directly
On the first day, volunteers fanned out across platforms 1 to 8, actively interacting with travelers. They used innovative slogans to capture attention and politely urged people not to litter. The core message was to encourage passengers to hand over their waste rather than throwing it on platforms or tracks.
The response from the public was largely positive. Volunteers respectfully collected items like orange peels, peanut shells, empty water bottles, and snack wrappers directly from passengers. This collected waste was later segregated scientifically, highlighting the dual focus on cleanliness and proper waste management.
Students and Officials Join Hands
The drive saw energetic participation from about 30 students from GS College. They were divided into three groups and deployed strategically across the station to maximize outreach. Strong support was also provided by railway security personnel and staff.
GDKF's leadership was actively involved, with Treasurer Ganesh Solanke and project coordinators Rashi Meshram, Ashish Kudarve, and Shubham Waghmare participating in the activities.
Changing Mindsets, Not Just Imposing Fines
Speaking at the event, GDKF Founder and National President Nitin Solanke emphasized that imposing fines alone cannot ensure lasting cleanliness. He stressed the critical need to change the mindset of passengers. The approach of respectfully collecting waste from those littering was designed to make them realize their own responsibility towards public spaces.
The campaign is scheduled to run from December 18 till December 19, between 1 PM and 5 PM, directly supporting the Indian Railways' efforts under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Solanke confirmed that the drive would continue on Friday with similar activities planned for other railway premises in Nagpur.
