New Delhi: The Indian Railways has come up with an innovative idea to shun the use of single-use plastic. It will now serve tea, snacks, lassi and other food items in earthenware at 400 major stations across the country.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will provide “environmental savvy terracotta products like kulhad, glasses and plates” to the Railways.
The Ministry of Railways has directed the Principal Chief Commercial Managers (PCCMs) of different Zonal Railways and IRCTC CMD ” to further proliferate the use of locally-produced environment-savvy terracotta products for serving catering items” to passengers through all static catering units with “immediate effect” at 400 railways stations.
The Ministry, in its letter to PCCMs has advised them to “identify 25 railway stations on their zonal railways respectively for implementation of the above scheme, under intimation to the board and IRCTC.”
This particular initiative shall create employment for the poor potters at the doorsteps and improve their economic conditions. The KVIC is carrying out various programme including ‘Kumhaar Sashaktikaran Yojana’ to help the poor potters improve their livelihood.
On Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a clear instruction to the citizens in his address to give up single-use plastic by October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
