Lok Sabha Question No. 1857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Plastic-free and Environment-friendly Railway
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1857 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## PLASTIC-FREE AND ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY RAILWAY

## 1857. SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that large quantities of plastic waste such  as  bottles,  food  containers  and  packaging  materials  are  being thrown  along  railway  tracks  and  near  railway  stations  despite  the nationwide plastic ban and the availability of dustbins in trains;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being taken by the Government to ensure  proper  collection,  segregation,  and  recycling  of  such  waste generated on trains and station premises;
- (c)  whether  any  monitoring  mechanism/penalty  system  is  in  place  to prevent passengers and vendors from dumping plastic waste on tracks and open areas and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  details  of  future  plans  to  make  the  Railways  a  plastic-free  and environment-friendly transport network?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (d):  Effective  management including disposal of waste generated in trains  and  Railway stations,  catering  units  and  coaches  is  accorded  high priority by Indian Railways for enhanced  users' experience. Various initiatives taken in this regard are as follows:-
-  Waste  collected  inside  trains  is  disposed  of  at  nominated  en-route stations, identified for waste disposal.
-  On  Board  Housekeeping  Staff  are  strictly  mandated  not  to  throw garbage on tracks and strict penalties are imposed on violation.
-  Rag picking is done along railway tracks to maintain cleanliness.
-  Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines (PBCMs) are installed at stations as per requirement.
-  Provision  of  two  bin  type  dustbins  has  been  carried  out  at  various stations  for  segregation  of  bio-degradable  and  non-biodegradable waste, at source.
-  Based  on  local  conditions,  feasibility  and  requirement,  tie-ups  for waste  disposal,  have  been  made  between  local  Railway  authorities and municipal bodies.
-  Infrastructure like Sewage treatment plants (STPs), Effluent Treatment  plants  (ETPs),  Material  Recovery  Facility  (MRF)  has  been installed and commissioned, on need basis, at a number of locations over Indian Railways.
-  Passenger  awareness  campaigns  are  regularly  conducted  across Indian Railways for encouraging them to dispose garbage in dustbins provided in trains.
-  Regular checks/surprise checks are conducted by supervisors/senior officials at Divisional, Zonal & Headquarter level.
-  Special  Cleanliness  Campaigns  under  Swachh  Bharat  Abhiyan  and cleanliness  drives/campaigns  are  organized  regularly  over  Indian Railways  with  the  objective  to  achieve  significant  and  sustainable improvements in cleanliness standards.
-  Elimination  of  direct  discharge  of  human  waste  from  trains  through installation of bio-toilets in  passenger  coaches.  The details of provision of Bio-toilets are as under:

| Period         | No. of Bio-Toilets fitted   |
|----------------|-----------------------------|
| 2004-14        | 9,587                       |
| 2014-till date | 3,61,572                    |

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