Lok Sabha Question No. 162 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-07
Subject: Littering at Railway Premises
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 162 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.03.2018

## LITTERING AT RAILWAY PREMISES

- *162. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of persons penalized/fine collected from them for littering  at  Railway  premises  has  been  much  higher  in  Northern Railway  Zone  than  other  Zones  of  Railways  during  each  of  the  last three years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of persons penalized and fine collected from them during the said period, Zone-wise;
- (c) the  cases  of  violation  of  the  instructions/directions  issued  by  the Government  for  use  of  eco-friendly  and  bio-degradable  packaging material for supply of food and other items in Railway premises which have  come  to  the  notice  of  the  Government  during  the  said  period along with the action taken thereon;
- (d) whether the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has shown concern over failure of Railways in controlling littering on tracks; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof and the  steps taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COAL (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (e):      A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  162  BY  SHRI  BHARTRUHARI  MAHTAB  AND  SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE TO BE ANSWERED  IN LOK SABHA ON 07.03.2018 REGARDING LITTERING AT RAILWAY PREMISES.

(a)&(b):    The  total  number  of  persons  penalized  and  amount  collected  as penalty for littering at railway premises during the last three years (financial year) and current financial year (upto January 2018), zonewise are as under:

| Year                              | 2014-2015 (April 2014 to March 2015)   | 2014-2015 (April 2014 to March 2015)   | 2015-2016 (April 2015 to March 2016)   | 2015-2016 (April 2015 to March 2016)   | 2016-2017 (April 2016 to March 2017)   | 2016-2017 (April 2016 to March 2017)   | 2017-2018 (April 2017 to January 2018)   | 2017-2018 (April 2017 to January 2018)   |
|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Railways No. of persons penalized | Railways No. of persons penalized      | Amount (in J )                         | No. of persons penalized               | Amount (in J )                         | No. of persons penalized               | Amount (in J )                         | No. of persons penalized                 | Amount (in J )                           |
| Central                           | 28,239                                 | 33,39,570                              | 18,191                                 | 30,84,795                              | 52,101                                 | 70,04,775                              | 43,716                                   | 55,61,215                                |
| Eastern                           | 35,327                                 | 37,28,802                              | 52,587                                 | 53,90,550                              | 47,314                                 | 43,48,370                              | 43,839                                   | 44,73,900                                |
| East Central                      | 13,255                                 | 24,39,350                              | 12,234                                 | 21,87,900                              | 16,134                                 | 29,85,720                              | 8,871                                    | 15,83,800                                |
| East Coast                        | 25,493                                 | 20,97,430                              | 21,669                                 | 18,89,320                              | 13,937                                 | 12,66,587                              | 8,653                                    | 8,00,380                                 |
| Northern                          | 44,185                                 | 47,14,980                              | 93,803                                 | 98,08,499                              | 97,075                                 | 98,32,756                              | 63,911                                   | 78,01,932                                |
| North Central                     | 13,727                                 | 17,64,185                              | 52,660                                 | 62,94,575                              | 1,20,785                               | 1,26,76,155                            | 51,330                                   | 62,48,020                                |
| North Eastern                     | 5,479                                  | 7,84,200                               | 8,587                                  | 14,24,722                              | 18,572                                 | 24,12,835                              | 12,353                                   | 14,50,910                                |
| Northeast Frontier                | 12,120                                 | 12,93,563                              | 9,927                                  | 11,85,237                              | 9,016                                  | 9,43,590                               | 6,110                                    | 7,42,854                                 |
| North Western                     | 38,040                                 | 38,33,777                              | 42,317                                 | 45,91,235                              | 43,542                                 | 50,08,816                              | 34,040                                   | 38,63,417                                |
| Southern                          | 4,704                                  | 9,75,600                               | 3,049                                  | 6,20,100                               | 1,403                                  | 2,85,000                               | 771                                      | 2,00,530                                 |
| South Central                     | 54,317                                 | 1,08,64,750                            | 43,323                                 | 86,71,900                              | 50,292                                 | 1,01,16,450                            | 31,600                                   | 63,52,330                                |
| South Eastern                     | 25,763                                 | 2129156                                | 24,598                                 | 19,42,571                              | 22,900                                 | 18,71,630                              | 17,577                                   | 14,30,040                                |
| South East Central                | 36,791                                 | 27,49,297                              | 41,641                                 | 31,31,102                              | 32,589                                 | 25,68,115                              | 22,479                                   | 19,30,109                                |
| South Western                     | 6,241                                  | 7,96,200                               | 4,234                                  | 8,72,700                               | 5,717                                  | 12,26,430                              | 9,172                                    | 19,86,390                                |
| Western                           | 26,509                                 | 23,43,825                              | 44,661                                 | 30,52,410                              | 75,871                                 | 77,57,950                              | 52,980                                   | 93,83,150                                |
| West Central                      | 7,864                                  | 8,78,900                               | 4,623                                  | 4,89,500                               | 5,156                                  | 5,45,650                               | 4,196                                    | 4,38,900                                 |

(c): No such case has been reported.

(d)&(e): Indian Railways accords high priority to cleanliness at stations and railway tracks. However, in many locations there are large jhuggi clusters located on encroached Railway land in Delhi and other major urban areas where  large  quantity  of  Municipal  Solid  Waste  (MSW)/garbage  is  being dumped on the  vacant  Railway  land  alongside  the  tracks  by  such  jhuggi dwellers.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed in this regard as under:

'MSW accumulated already in the encroached Railway land in Delhi area should be cleared and disposed off appropriately by Railway as a one time effort after which action should be taken to maintain these areas clean by growing  of  trees  and  levying  monetary  compensation  of G 5000/-  on polluters under 'Polluters Pay Principle'.

Appropriate  sized  dustbins  must  be  put  up  at  convenient  locations  in  all such encroachment areas and arrangements made by the local government for disposal of MSW collected in such dustbins, as per the extant rules.

Suitable mobile toilets / eco-friendly toilets have to be provided for the use of encroachers in the Railway land by the local government on the Railway track and nearby areas of Delhi area.

Similar instructions should be issued to other Zonal Railways also.'

Following instructions have been issued to Zonal Railways in this regard:

(i) Major Railway stations in Delhi and other areas are to be covered by Cleaning and Rag picking contracts. Railway has undertaken all out efforts to  clear  the  garbage  from  railway  track  and  nearby  areas  followed  by plantation, wherever feasible, in a planned manner as a one time effort.

(ii) Instructions have been issued to assist local Government authorities to provide dustbins and mobile toilets for use by the encroachers living on Railway land by the track side. (iii) Persons throwing litter / garbage in Railway areas are counseled and also  punished  with  fines  under  Indian  Railways  (Penalties  for  activities affecting cleanliness at railway premises) Rules, 2012. (iv) Notices for imposing fines of G 5000/- have also been issued in recent past.

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