Soon, plastic bottle crushing machines at Mumbai’s railway stations

The city’s railway stations will be equipped with plastic bottle crushing machines soon, following the implementation of the plastic ban by Maharashtra government from June 23. The railways plans to install 60 machines on central and the western line stations, near food stalls so that commuters can dispose the bottles immediately after use.

On the Central Railway (CR), two machines each will be installed at 17 stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Byculla, Dadar, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Mulund and Thane. On the Western Railway (WR), there will be one machine each at 25 stations, including Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Charni Road, Dadar, Bandra, Khar, Vile Parle, Andheri and Borivli.

The Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has already installed two bottle-crushing machines at CSMT and one at Churchgate and Mumbai Central stations on a trial basis.

“We are collecting feedback and will get more for 17 stations,” said SK Jain divisional railway manager, CR.

The machines will be useful to the railways as it manufactures a drink called Rail Neer, which is only available at stations and is sold in plastic bottles.

Last year, similar machines were introduced on suburban stations under the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme, but they were removed due to a defect in the machines.