Delhi’s rly stations worst at waste disposal

Delhi’s three railways stations are among the worst public places in the city when it comes to arrangements for waste disposal, says the country’s pollution watchdog, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Delhi’s three railways stations are among the worst public places in the city when it comes to arrangements for waste disposal, says the country’s pollution watchdog, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

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In a comparative environmental study of railway stations and airports in the city — which will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in October — the CPCB found there is no provision of segregation of degradable and non-degradable waste at the three railway stations.

Every day 522 trains carrying over 7.50 lakh people arrive at or leave the three stations — New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin — resulting in the generation of 6,758 kg of plastic. That is 20 per cent of total municipal waste generated at the stations.

On average, the municipal waste in the Capital has five per cent plastic.

SP Gautam, CPCB chairperson, said: “While the value added plastic is collected by rag-pickers, the non-recyclable plastic carry bags are left at the site. These end up in municipal landfill sites.”

Delhi’s two airports may be better in municipal waste management than rail stations but what has worried CPCB is high generation of plastic. The per capita generation of plastic at the international and domestic airports is 69 grams as compared to just nine at the railway stations.

The CPCB wants the government to impose restriction on use of plastic by air caterers, its biggest source at the airports. It has also asked airport authorities to use plastic in road construction.