Western Railway is undertaking an extensive campaign to ensure cleanliness at stations by educating people against the unhygienic practice of using train toilets at stations. Many people use the train toilets in long distance trains when the trains are halted at station. The waste released at the stations dirties the station environment and also has to be cleaned by staff. Under the social awareness campaign, WR is appealing passengers to not to use toilets at stations and is also asking for pledge from passengers to follow the hygiene while travelling.
To give wide Publicity to the cause, special posters and sticker campaign is undertaken by WR. Posters/Stickers will be put inside the train and at the stations educating people about how unhygienic habit of using train toilets when trains are at stations affects others health. It may be noted that every passenger travelling, will himself use one or the other station and will not like an unhealthy and unhygienic environment. Also the cleaning the railway tracks at stations of human facets are done by cleaning staff which is very difficult and inhuman also. The campaign is aimed at bringing about behavioral change in passengers by displaying messages at various places.
Along with poster and sticker campaign a SMS campaign has also been initiated wherein regular SMSes are sent to people to educate them against this unhealthy practice. Some of the SMSes sent read
‘Hygiene is key to good health-Please do not use the toilets when the train is at the station. Keep the trains & stations clean’
‘Help us to serve you better-Keep coaches & toilets clean. Please do not use toilets when the train is halted at station’
To provide clean and healthy environment to its passengers, Western Railway undertakes regular cleaning of trains and station premises. Major stations have been provided with washable aprons below the railway tracks for easy cleaning of tracks. External and internal cleaning of train coaches is done at the yards and during the run trains are cleaned at Ahmedabad and Ratlam stations by professional agencies. On board house keeping has also been introduced on many trains for en-route cleaning wherein in aisles and toilets are cleaned enroute by professional agencies. Green toilets have been introduced on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. In these toilets the waste is not disposed when trains are halted instead it gets collected and is released when train attains certain speed. The facility of green toilets is being extended on all new age rakes.
WR's efforts to provide clean and healthy environment can be a success only when every individual commits himself to join the same by avoiding use of train toilets when train is at stations. It may be a small step by a single person, but collectively it is giant leap to keep our surrounding clean. Western Railway is committed to provide clean and hygienic environment to its passengers. Active support from passengers is solicited in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene at the stations to make the travel pleasant and comfortable for themselves and others.
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