IR to recharge phones of passengers using Plastic Bottle Crushers at stations

Indian Railways will help recharge phones of passengers if they use plastic bottle crushing machines installed at stations. The step is in a bid to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to junk single use plastic. In PM Modi’s 2019 Independence Day speech he appealed to nation to eliminate single-use plastic and to find alternatives to plastic water bottles on a priority basis.

Key Highlights

Railways have already issued directions regarding ban on use of single-use plastic on its premises starting from 2 October 2019. A pledge will be administered by railways to cut use of plastic on October 2.

Indian Railways will be installing 400 bottle-crushing machines at selected stations, in which passengers wanting to use the feature will simply have to key in their phone number into machine and their phone will be recharged but the details of recharge will not be known immediately.

Steps Taken by Railways to curb Plastic Menace:

• At present 160 bottle-crushing machines are available at 128 stations.
• Plastic bottle shredders have been installed at Secunderabad railway station
• Also, instructions have been given to railway staff for collecting all the used plastic bottles at railway stations and send them for recycling.
• Railway ministry had already issued instructions to all vendors and staff across its network and premises to use reusable bags so as to reduce plastic footprint.
• The South Western Railway zone is also in talks with some artisans from Karnataka to supply ‘kulhads’ for serving tea on trains, instead of plastic cups. Therefore, the initiative to shift towards plastic-free operations will financially help artisans and farmers as demand for their items or products will increase.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2019