NGT directs Railways to impose fine of Rs.5000 on Offenders littering on Platforms & Tracks

NGT directs Railways to impose fine of Rs.5000 on Offenders littering on Platforms & Tracks

New Delhi: In a significant order, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday said people found littering or throwing waste on railway platforms or tracks would be fined Rs.5,000, applying the principle that the polluter pays. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar also ordered several other measures to ensure cleanliness of railway tracks and platforms. NGT directed the railway authorities to place dustbins on platforms to ensure proper collection of garbage. The tribunal also directed Indian Railways to collect and transport waste to waste treatment plants before disposal instead of directly releasing it into sewer system. The tribunal also took the railways to task on the condition of toilets. It directed them to install mobile toilets near slum clusters alongside railway tracks. In 2014, a parliamentary committee had slammed railways for not segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes at any of its stations. The committee had found out that in 64% of 212 railway stations checked, a centralized dumping yard was not available, which resulted in littering near station premises and even along tracks.