Western Railway all set to clear 106 garbage dumping spots along its tracks

The muck and debris collected from near the tracks are transported using special muck trains

As many as 106 garbage dumping sites that could lead to waterlogging on the tracks were found along the Western Railway during the pre-monsoon inspection. In swift and prompt action, authorities have deployed one muck special train and 12 open wagons, along with one poclain and four excavator machines, to collect muck from tracks. Central Railway officials said they have also begun the preparations with about five garbage specials running with open wagons and six excavators.

"Western Railway identified 106 locations where garbage dumping by outsiders has been noticed which affects the stormwater drainage system. The waste materials and garbage, which are being dumped by outsiders on railway tracks, are choking up the drainage, pipeline and culverts, which hinders the smoothflow of stormwater at many locations. So far, 1.6 lakh cubic metres of muck/garbage has been cleared this year during maintenance blocks," Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Sumit Thakur said.

"To gear up for the monsoon, pre-monsoon works are being undertaken extensively to give more access to stormwater and to curb flooding. The garbage and debris lead to waterlogging on the tracks as it obstructs the flow of rainwater sideways. It also results in accumulation of water on tracks. The collected muck and garbage are packed in gunny bags which are then loaded onto the muck special train and open wagons," Thakur said.

"Also included are works such as cleaning of culverts, desilting of side drains, installations of high-power pumps, special maintenance of infrastructure etc. WR is taking all steps for smooth flow of water, and to ensure there is no stagnation of water or flooding of tracks," he added. The official said, "Sustained efforts in infrastructure upgradation and monsoon related works have improved the suburban operations in the past few years and WR has been able to reduce the hours of disruption due to heavy rainfall."

"Central Railway Mumbai has collected about 1.66 lakh cubic metres of muck/garbage from the tracks in the suburban section. The muck and garbage dumped along the tracks not only deface tracks but also clog drainages under it, leading to waterlogging on tracks during monsoon," said Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar.

1.6 lakh
Cubic metres of garbage cleared along WR so far