NEW DELHI: In a big threat to passenger safety, rail tracks continue to be dumping site with only 32 per cent tracks found litter free, according to ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat’ cleanliness survey 2018 released on Monday. The survey conducted by the Quality Council of India covers 407 major railway stations (75 in A1 category and 332 in A category stations). Although the survey indicates that cleanliness at railway stations has improved, there has been a negligible improvement in cleanliness on tracks. Ensuring garbage free tracks is important keeping in mind passenger safety. Garbage on tracks attracts stray animals and they can pose threat to railway operations.
The overall cleanliness score of the stations in this year’s assessment improved by 17.6 per cent as compared to that of 2017. In A-1 category, two tourist stations Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan bagged top position followed by Tirupati. In A category, Marwar and Phulera stations in Rajasthan were ranked the cleanest.