Mysuru railway station launches fortnight-long cleanliness programmes

MYSURU: As part of the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Mission initiative, South Western Railway is striving hard to maintain its stations and trains as well as surrounding areas clean through its Swachch Rail Swachch Bharat Programme. On Monday, Ajay Kumar Singh, general manager, SWR, flagged off various programmes in Mysuru.
Swachchta Pakhwada (Cleanliness Fortnight), which started on Monday will be on till October 2 across Mysuru division. The activities during the fortnight are expected to result in visible improvements in cleanliness on railway premises and trains. Messages on ban on single use of plastic will be spread across the length and breadth of the division.
The programme was started here because Mysuru division is among the top four performing divisions in the country and it’s also the cleanest among all three divisions in South Western Railway, railway authorities said.
During Swachchta Fortnight, passenger feedback and suggestions collected during field inspections by officials and those posted on social media will be acted upon. On the inaugural day, the general manager flagged off a Prabhat Pheri (Walkathon) with officers and staff, their family members, Scouts and Guides, station cleaning staff and others. The walkathon, which started from Vontikoppal Railway Colony, reached Platform 1 of Mysuru Railway station where Singh administered the Swachhta Pledge.
The GM sought the blessings of Goddess Chamundeshwari and said dirt and ugliness should be eradicated like the goddess annihilated demon king Mahishasura. He complimented the Divisional Railway Manager and officers of Mysuru division for its performance on key performance indicators helping it to reach the fourth position. “I come from Uttar Pradesh where cleanliness standards are not so high but Mysuru city looks the cleanest in Karnataka,” he said.
Aparna Garg, DRM, Mysuru division, requested passengers to maintain cleanliness on the station and in trains. As an alternative to plastics, she called upon people to use paper or cloth bags. She mentioned that instructions will be given to all shops at railway stations to use paper and clothe bags instead of plastic.
Rs 25,000 award for Scouts and Guides
Scouts and Guidelines performed a skit to highlight the need for constructive contribution by every citizen at all levels and from all walks of life so that Mahatma Gandhi’s dream for a Clean India can be realised. The GM appreciated it by a cash award of Rs 25,000.
Money saved
With the augmentation of the linen care centre in Mysuru division, the division will save Rs 1.2 crore given for washing, including blankets and bedrolls in trains. Henceforth, all washing will be undertaken by railway employees.
Earlier, the linen care centre had capacity of 1.5 tonnes but with the setting up of two more washing machines and a drying machine, the centre has four washing machines and two dry machines which can clean 2.6 tonnes of clothes which is the division requirement.
B Anjaneyulu, senior divisional mechanical engineer, Mysuru division, SWR, said: “When we’d give some clothes outside for washing, we were not able to get quality because of their poor infrastructure. After complaints about lack of quality, we decided to do it ourselves. For washing clothes outside, for two years we paid Rs 1.2 crore which now we’ll save.”