We ought to stop littering, especially on tracks

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Gearing up for the monsoon throws up unique challenges in a city with the population the size of Mumbai. Keeping transport going is one big aspect of monsoon preparedness, as everybody knows the city is crippled without its lifeline.

Talking transport means our Railway system, which has to keep going, and authorities have to ensure that somehow trains work as well as possible even if tracks flood over, they have to do their best to be operational.

Recently, 106 garbage dumping sites that could lead to waterlogging on the tracks have been found along the Western Railway. Pre-monsoon inspection has led to swift action with several machines deployed to collect muck from the tracks. The waste materials and garbage dumped on tracks choke drainage, pipelines and culverts, hindering smooth flow of stormwater. Other pre-monsoon preparedness has also begun, said the Railways.

It should work like this that inspection should lead to quick work and results. Otherwise, not in the case of Railways, we see inspections going on for days if not months, or findings that are simply not acted upon.

We must also see permanent stoppage to dumping garbage on tracks but given how deep-rooted this problem is, this is easier said than done and one does not know if this will ever be a complete success.

Yet, fines for throwing dirt on the tracks, using it as an open-air trash can, as well as signage and announcements can be one way in which to mitigate this to some extent. The Railways is employing some of these methods but measures are up against a mountain, to be candid.

Our mindset needs to change too, as public facilities - in use, defunct or just empty for a while - are not convenient dustbins. Let us take pride in our city and inculcate this feeling in Gen Next. While that happens, the preparations and alacrity in action is spot on.