Railways' Delhi Division armed with 10,000 brooms for October 2 cleanliness drive

New Delhi: The Delhi Division of Railways has put together an arsenal of 10,000 brooms for use by a battery of volunteers, including schoolchildren and top officials and lawmakers, when they attack garbage at its facilities on October 2 in a first-of-its-kind exercise.

Equipped with a specially-designed 'battle gear' made up of gloves, masks and colourful jackets and caps, the volunteer force would be clearing garbage from platforms, tracks, circulating areas, waiting rooms and entry and exit gates at the New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin, Sarai Rohilla and Anand Vihar stations apart from at 45 others under Delhi Division.

Covering Delhi, parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Division has a total of 213 stations of which 50 have been earmarked to host ministers, senior officials and MPs for the clean-up exercise.

"All 213 stations of the division will be covered by the cleanliness drive. While 50 stations have been identified for the involvement of senior officials, the rest will be taken up at the Assistant Station Master-level," Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Anurag Sachan, said.

Delhi Division has also procured about 500 dustbins and a significant number of large polythene bags and wheelbarrows for garbage collection. He said that the cleaning work on October 2 will continue for eight hours.

"The drive will also cover trains, including the pantry cars," he added.

Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda will himself pick up the broom for what has been billed as a first-of-its-kind exercise by the national transporter. Gowda will lead the clean-up drive at New Delhi station.

Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha is expected to clean the platform at Ghazipur station in his constituency of the same name in Uttar Pradesh.

According to a Railway Ministry directive, all its 16 zones and 70 divisions will take part in the cleanliness drive.

Shubhranshu, Divisional Railway Manager of Salem Division, said, "A large number of resident welfare associations, NGOs and school and college students have offered to participate in the drive in our division in Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur."

He said special efforts are being made to give a face-lift to the century-old maintenance shed of the Nilgiri toy train.

"We are also planning to plant as many trees on a vast land tract near Coimbatore station, which was being used as a garbage dump. Besides, the one-km long wall of the Coimbatore station is being given a fresh coat of paint," the Salem DRM said.

As far as New Delhi is concerned, MPs representing the city are expected to join the drive at various stations.

While East Delhi MP Mahesh Giri will be at Anand Vihar, North East MP Manoj Tiwary has chosen to be at New Delhi station. South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri has opted for being part of the drive at Tughlakabad station.

Railways is spending about Rs 2 crore for the cleanliness drive in the country. Rs 10 lakh is Delhi Division's cost for organising the exercise along with an awareness campaign to keep rail premises clean.