THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway conducted a cleanliness drive to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, from September 17 to October 15. The campaign covered 103 stations, 74 trains, and 428 offices. A total of 40,505 participants, including 15,505 volunteers of NSS, NCC, Student Police Cadets(SPC), other volunteers from schools and colleges, railway staff, and the general public, joined hands to clean 724,749 sq metres of area, including 508.16 km of tracks. It was not just about cleaning spaces but also fostering awareness and accountability, said Manish Thaplyal, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Thiruvananthapuram while inaugurating the month-long programme.
“It will be heartening to see the transformation we achieve through collective effort. This is not just about cleanliness but also about building a culture of responsibility and pride for our surroundings. Together, we can make our Railways a shining example of a Swachh Bharat,” he added. These volunteers worked alongside railway staff to clear careless throwing of waste and illegal waste dumping sites, also turning neglected spaces into clean, usable areas.
The drive also had a creative flair, with 325 Nukkad Nataks (street plays) and 218 cultural performances at station premises. At 30 stations, waste-to-art installations attracted media attention, also attracting selfies and conversations about sustainability. The divsion adopted a three-pronged approach against illegal waste dumping. It included awareness, vigilance, and collaboration.
As many as 1,283 offenders were penalised and a penalty of `2,38,850 collected. As part of the awareness drive 181 pledge taking meetings, 2 marathons, 5 cyclothons, 44 walkathons, and 46 seminars/webinars were held. As many as 30 health camps were organised for safai karmis and 3,421 saplings were planted. The division has also reached out to local self-government bodies to prevent unauthorised waste dumping.