Central Railway marks World Environment Day with 22-day green campaign across divisions

The Central Railway observed World Environment Day 2026 on Friday with a wideranging environmental initiative culminating a 22day awareness campaign conducted across its Mumbai Bhusaval Nagpur Pune and Solapur divisionsAdditional General Manager Prateek Goswami administered an environmental pledge to principal heads of departments officers and staff encouraging ecofriendly practices and collective responsibility towards sustainabilityEarlier he and senior officials participated in a nationwide pledge ceremony addressed by Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar via video conference22day campaign focused on sustainability and waste reductionAs part of the runup to World Environment Day Central Railway carried out an intensive awareness campaign from May 15 to June 5 mobilising railway staff passengers and local communities to promote environmental protection waste segregation and reduction of singleuse plasticsThe campaign included plantation drives environmental walkathons and largescale participation from railway personnel including a major rally at Matunga Workshop with nearly 500 participants focusing on energy conservation and water securityPassenger awareness and infrastructure upgrades at stationsTo improve waste management at stations Central Railway installed twin colourcoded dustbins for dry and wet waste across major locations Plastic bottle crushing machines were also introduced to encourage proper disposal and recyclingAwareness drives at stations promoted messages such as ldquoClean Platforms Green Futurerdquo ldquoCarry Your Own Water Bottlerdquo and ldquoSay No to Plasticrdquo through banners workshops and outreach activitiesEcofriendly initiatives composting and plastic reduction drivesIn collaboration with IRCTC Central Railway introduced biodegradable cutlery at select catering points including an ecofriendly bamboo stall at Nagpur StationA vermicomposting facility was highlighted for converting organic waste and leaf litter into manure at locations such as Matunga Workshop and Reay Road StationCleanliness drives scrap segregation and premonsoon drain cleaning were also carried out across multiple workshops including Parel Sanpada Badnera and ManmadAwareness campaigns and plastic ban enforcementMumbai Division intensified monitoring of vendor stalls to enforce restrictions on singleuse plastics promoting biodegradable alternatives instead Cultural programmes and street plays organised by Central Railwayrsquos Bharat Scouts and Guides were held across Bhusawal Nagpur Pandharpur Shegaon and Kalaburagi stations to spread awareness on climate changeWorkshops at Matunga also trained staff and vendors on reducing microplastic pollution through improved waste handling practicesTree plantation drives across divisionsTree plantation activities were conducted at multiple railway locations with Reay Road Station emerging as a key contributor through plantation and composting initiatives on its premisesAppeal to passengersCentral Railway urged passengers to support its sustainability efforts by using reusable bottles and bags and properly utilising segregated dustbins at stations reaffirming its commitment to integrating green practices into daily operations and railway infrastructure development