Anyone found littering on a railway track or platform or disposing waste on its property would now be shelling out Rs. 5,000 under the Polluter Pays Principle.
The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday passed a string of directions to clear the Railways of the filth which gives it the tag of “biggest open toilet.”
The Tribunal empowered the Railways to impose a fine of Rs. 5,000 on anyone found littering or engaging in any other act such as open defecation on tracks or platforms. The fine would also be imposed on those residing along the tracks and disposing of waste on railway tracks or property.
If the waste is found lying in front of any house adjoining the tracks, the fine would be recovered from the occupants of the property.
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar also directed the three municipal corporations to place dustbins in the 46 slum clusters along the railway property.
The Bench empowered the Railways to slap a fine of Rs. 5,000 when the Railways deposed that despite it cleaning the property, people continue to litter.
It also directed that the waste treatment plant at Gazipur be made operational by June 2015 so that all the waste collected or generated by the Railways is treated there.
Besides this, the Railways was also directed to install a treatment plant to treat the water after washing the tracks. The Tribunal noted that once the tracks are washed, the water should not be allowed to run off and directly enter the sewer line.
The Delhi government has been directed to provide all financial assistance to the corporations, if required, to place dustbins etc.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board has also been directed to utilise the Rs. 11.25 crore of Railways lying with it for relocation of slums along its properties which are a source of pollution and even have instances where inhabitants can be seen sitting on a cot placed on railway tracks.
The order has been passed on a petition filed by advocate Saloni Singh highlighting the filth on railway tracks.
During the various hearings on the petition, the NGT had pulled up the Railways, corporations for not doing enough. It had also called Railway Board chairman before it, besides directing other officials to undertake a small journey to see the ground reality.
