Mumbai Central becomes 1st station where 'Polluter Pays'

The platforms and waiting rooms at Mumbai Central station were inspected by the Central Pollution Control Board team to ascertain cleanliness. File pic

Mumbai Central station of the Western Railway is set to become the first and only station in Mumbai to be considered under the 'Polluter Pays' regulation. Polluter Pays is a National Green Tribunal principle where polluters have to pay hefty fines. This means that those littering and dumping garbage at Mumbai Central station will have to pay fines instantly.

About 37 stations have been selected across the country to follow this norm.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Ministry of Railways to identify and develop these stations as 'eco-smart stations' after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said there was unsatisfactory handling of waste at railway stations.

After the remaining 36 major railway stations are identified, an action plan will be prepared for other stations as well.

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Notified authorities of the railways like ticket-checkers and RPF personnel are free to recover the cost of restoration of the damage to the environment from the identified polluters in accordance with the law.

'Intensive drive'

Western Railway officials said that the process of converting the station into a Polluter Pays station was already under process and due inspections had been conducted with the station fulfilling all parameters. "In fact, we started the trials in April 2019 and till date have collected fines of approximately R29,57,260," a WR official added.

"Members of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPBC) audited the Mumbai Central station as part of the process in August 2019 and found all observations satisfactory," he added. It will now be formally announced a Polluter Pays station.

Platforms and waiting rooms at Mumbai Central station were inspected by the Central Pollution Control Board to ascertain cleanliness. File pic

Western Railway chief public relations officer Ravinder Bhakar confirmed the development saying, "The difference between this station and other stations will be that the drive will be more intensive at this station and polluters of all kinds will be fined on the spot. This is because Mumbai Central has a dedicated staff appointed for the cleanliness purpose."

Central Pollution Control Board's checklist

• Plastic bottle crusher machine (above) is functioning
• Wastewater drains at washing line and connected correctly to manholes
• Segregated dustbins, waste transportation trolleys, and waste collection bins present
• Visited solid waste plant and checked functioning of all machines, composting process, segregation process and system of generation of gas and its utilisation at therailway canteen
• Visited circulating areas, PRS/UTS counters, platforms and appreciated the cleaning
• Visited stalls and the restaurant Comesome, The Food Junction
• Solar plant illuminating platforms and waiting halls
• Visited photo gallery for green initiative at station
• Discussed water audit, energy audit
• Monitored noise level at station on each platform, circulatingarea, etc.
• Visited coaching depot to see the procedure for disposal of scrap battery
• Various modes of passenger complaint systems and speed of redressal seen. During inspection, a complaint of small garbage bags on PF 3 was addressed and resolved within 15 minutes
• Management of CCTVs located at RPF and SM office seen and appreciated
• Internal energy audit has been done for MMCT station and its audit report submitted to CPCB representatives. External audit for station listed out by NGT will be done as per the requirement of CPCB.

37
Total no of Polluter Pays stations to come up in India

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