Use of plastics continue unabated in Railway, vendors seek 3 months time

On Tuesday, DT Next found licenced vendors providing plastic bags to travelers buying food from platforms of Egmore station. It has been only two days since the Greater Chennai Corporation seized 25 kg of plastic containers from the station. Unlike other parts of the city, plastics seized from railway stations must be hand over to railway catering inspectors. Ironically, officials of Chennai Railway Division had issued a circular as early as January 31, advising vendors to ensure strict compliance to the government notification. It had cautioned that licensees violating the ban would be subjected to stringent penal action in addition to the action taken by the State authorities.

Meanwhile, vendors wrote to the zonal headquarters seeking three more months to implement the ban. “Vendors have identified an alternative to the plastic-coated cups. But the sellers have sought time to supply it. Hence, the three months,” said a senior SR official requesting anonymity.

Licensed vendors have also written to the zonal headquarters in this regard. “Vendors have proposed cups made using cane residue after extracting molasses. They said that the suppliers have cited a sudden spurt in demand,” a zonal HoD privy to the development revealed to DT Next. “It is easy to clean glasses and reuse them at stalls, but on moving trains, it is difficult to enforce the ban immediately without ensuring the adequate supply of an alternative to plastic cups,” the official reasoned.

Both licensed vendors and division level railway officials are waiting for instructions from the zonal headquarters as it is a matter concerning four zones covering the whole State.