The National Green Tribunal directed Indian Railways to conduct water and energy audit on 36 identified major railway stations within three months.
The green panel directed Railways to notify it on or before Feb 28 once the 36 major railway stations are identified.
“The railway stations identified as major railway stations may have their own website to deal with complaints regarding cleanliness and hygiene issues,” the bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said.
The bench in the today’s hearing noted that solid and plastic waste management rules 2016 by the railway stations and railway tracks was still not complied with.
“Waste is generated and dumped on the railway track. It was noted that performance audit showed unsatisfactory state of affairs. Measures taken to take care of flora and fauna were not enough. There was no segregation of plastic waste,” the bench said.
Tribunal also observed that active implementation and monitoring mechanism was needed.
‘The notifying authorities of the railways are free to recover damages for restoration of the damages to the environment from the identified polluters,” the bench added.
The matter will be again heard on March 5.
The Tribunal was acting on a plea pertaining to cleanliness of railway tracks.
—India Legal Bureau