South Western Railway has been adjudged as the best railway zone among all the zonal railways. It has secured the first position in performance during the cleanliness fortnight, Swachhata Pakhwada 2023.
According to a press release, this is the second year in succession that the railway zone has bagged the first place. North Eastern Railway and South Central Railway have secured the second and the third place, respectively.
To ensure greater participation and a more effective outcome of the fortnight, Swachhata Pakhwada awards are given to each Ministry by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (nodal Ministry for Swachhata Hi Seva) to field functionaries, attached offices, subordinate organisations for exemplary performance during the fortnight.
Based on the evaluation of day-to-day reports, South Western Railway has been adjudged as the best, the release said.
Swachhata Pakhwada 2023 was launched by the Railway Board through a video conference on September 15 and it was observed from September 16 to 30. The Ministry of Railways extended it up to October 2 to conclude with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.
During the fortnight launched by General Manager of South Western Railway Sanjeev Kishore through the administration of Swachhata Pledge at KSR Bengaluru Railway Station in Bengaluru on September 16, all the departments of the zone actively participated.
A total of 915 cleanliness activities was taken up at railway stations and other premises and 23,744 volunteers took the Swachhata Pledge.
During the fortnight, they planted 252 saplings, removed 17 tonnes of plastic waste and 22 tonnes of other waste and cleared 1,053 km of railway track.
This apart, street plays were staged with the help of schoolchildren and non-governmental organisations to create awareness, posters were displayed, bins for dry and wet waste were provided, intensive cleaning was taken up at railway colonies, retiring rooms, running rooms, rest houses, dormitories, food stalls and others, Mr. Sanjeev Kishore has said in a release congratulating all the stakeholders for their participation in the fortnight.
