1,447 penalised for littering across Eastern Railway, ₹2.89 lakh fine imposed in cleanliness drive

Indian Railways has launched a major crackdown on littering across stations and trains under Eastern Railway, leading to 1,447 cases being registered in a single day and fines worth ₹2,89,400 collected. The drive aims to ensure cleanliness, prevent dumping of waste on tracks, and enforce proper garbage disposal practices within railway premises.

The large-scale awareness and enforcement campaign was initiated following an appeal by General Manager Milind Deouskar on the occasion of the 173rd anniversary of Indian Railways. Senior officials, including the Additional General Manager, Principal Heads of Departments, and Divisional Railway Managers, conducted on-ground awareness programmes at multiple stations. They also travelled on running trains, interacting directly with passengers to highlight the importance of maintaining cleanliness.

Passengers were informed about the harmful effects of throwing garbage on railway tracks, including disruptions to signalling systems, damage to track quality, and obstruction in train movement. Authorities emphasised that keeping railway premises clean is not only an environmental concern but also a key factor in ensuring passenger safety.

To strengthen enforcement, strict monitoring was carried out with support from Scouts & Guides and Civil Defence volunteers. This intensified surveillance resulted in the detection of 1,447 littering cases across Eastern Railway stations in a single day, with penalties imposed accordingly.

Division-wise, the highest number of cases was reported from Sealdah Division with 615 cases and ₹1,23,000 collected, followed by Howrah Division with 457 cases and ₹91,400, Asansol Division with 217 cases and ₹43,400, and Malda Division with 158 cases and ₹31,600. According to Chief Public Relations Officer Shibram Majhi, the objective of the drive is to raise public awareness and encourage a collective responsibility towards maintaining cleanliness, while reinforcing that littering in railway premises is a punishable offence.