 Early Times Report
MALIGAON, Oct 7: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has embarked on a series of pioneering initiatives across its network to promote environmental sustainability and achieve the objectives of Indian Railways' Green Mission 2030. Among these efforts, the transformation of Guwahati Railway Station, on the way to becoming India's first 100% plastic recyclable station is a significant initiative in sustainable railway operations.
This initiative is being planned through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NFR, Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) and a local authorized recycler with technical support from IIT Guwahati. The initiative combines scientific innovation, regulatory compliance and practical execution to create a replicable model for effective plastic waste management across the region. Under this programme, NFR has implemented a comprehensive plastic waste management system that includes colour-coded dustbins for segregation, bottle crushing machines, composting units and QR code-based monitoring for real time efficiency tracking. Eco friendly compostable bags, developed by IIT Guwahati have replaced single use plastics in trains, significantly reducing plastic waste generation.
To further promote awareness and encourage public participation, NFR has organized numerous "Waste-to-Art" exhibitions, Nukkad Nataks, Scouts & Guides awareness drives and digital campaigns at various stations. These efforts have fostered environmental consciousness among passengers, vendors and railway staff. As a result, vendor compliance has reached 100%, passenger cleanliness complaints have dropped by 60% and the overall station ambience has markedly improved.
Furthermore, building on these achievements, NFR plans to extend the 100% plastic recyclable station model to nine more stations across its network. This initiative aims to make the entire zone cleaner, greener and more environmentally responsible. |
