Waste: Railway to tie up with Green Kerala, Kudumbashree

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its effort to end the mounting waste management woes at the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, the authorities have set up an integrated waste management facility in its premises.

The new facility will start its operation from coming Thursday. The Railways have tied up with Haritha Keralam Mission and Kudumbashree Mission for running the facility. 

It is learnt that around 2 tonnes of degradable and non-biodegradable garbage is generated at the station on a daily basis. As many as 12 to 15 long distance trains end the trip at the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station hauling tonnes of waste to the station.  

With mounting waste woes, the Railway authorities have set up a non-biodegradable shredder, an incinerator, and dust remover and napkin disposal facility to make the station self-sufficient in waste management. Currently, outside agencies are moving waste from the station.

A top official of the Railway's said that the polluter should take up the responsibility to dispose of the waste.  "We have been struggling to manage waste and with this, we will be able to dispose of waste generated in our yard in our own facility. The machinery was sponsored by Indian Oil Corporation as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our aim is to prove that waste is not a menace if we are able to transform it into reusable end products," said an official. 

The railway is planning to install a modern dehydrating machine worth Rs 35 lakhs to convert wet waste into manure. "We will be conducting a training programme for 10 selected Kudumbashree workers for running the facility. Segregation will be given utmost thrust and plastic below 50 microns will be processed and handed over to PWD and LSGD for road tarring," said an official.