India is constantly working towards building a cleaner and greener future to protect future generations, wildlife, and more. In these efforts, even the Indian Railways is not lagging behind. Among all its initiatives, one such remarkable step is being taken by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which is all set to make Guwahati Railway Station India’s first 100% plastic-recyclable station. Read to know more details.
India’s First 100% Plastic-Recyclable Station
Guwahati Railway Station will soon become India’s first 100% plastic-recyclable station. According to NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, this initiative is part of a larger sustainability drive by NFR that aims to promote environmental consciousness. The project is being carried out through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the Assam Pollution Control Board, and a local authorised recycler, reported The Assam Tribune. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati is also providing technical guidance and expertise for the same.
This project brings together science, government guidelines, and real on-ground efforts to create a model that other stations can easily follow. To make this happen, NFR has launched a proper waste management system that covers everything — from colour-coded dustbins for sorting different types of waste to bottle-crushing machines for recycling plastic bottles.
They have also installed composting units to manage organic waste and introduced a QR code-based monitoring system that tracks how efficiently the entire process runs in real time.
Results Of This Project
The impact of the new initiatives is already visible to everyone. Following NFR awareness programs, vendor compliance at the station has reached 100% and passenger cleanliness complaints have dropped by 60%. Witnessing the success, NFR has decided to extend the 100% plastic recyclable model to nine more stations across its network. They operate in the northeastern states and cover seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of northern Bihar.
NFR members are also spreading awareness about cleanliness and recycling, organising “Waste-to-Art” exhibitions, Nukkad Nataks, and awareness drives with the help of Scouts and Guides.
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