What is the sequence in which reusable glasses
replaced by railways ?
Answers
Answer:
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just a day left for the Centre’s ban on single-use plastic to come into effect, the railway authorities and vendors at Thampanoor railway station are coming up with alternatives like paper cups, steel plates and glasses for serving food at the station.
At a meeting held last week, the railway authorities had decided to find more alternatives to single-use plastic. While the IRCTC has already replaced plastic cups with paper cups, it is looking for alternatives to serve food. Though bagasse containers made of sugarcane fibres are being considered, the cost factor is an impediment.
“Last week, a seminar was conducted for the railway authorities and vendors at the railway station on alternatives to single-use plastic. An awareness programme on plastic pollution was also held. We have completely restricted the use of single-use plastic but won’t be enforcing the ban on passengers as we don’t want to cause them any inconvenience,” said Ajay Kaushik, station director.
Plastic bags will be replaced with cloth bags but no additional money will be charged from the customers.
As biodegradable materials are more expensive, the railway authorities have already forwarded a proposal to the railway headquarters for price adjustments. The commercial department of the Southern railway division is planning to seek additional funds from higher authorities so that they can bear the expense for purchasing the materials.
While some vendors agree to the decision made by the authorities, others fear their business will get affected once it is strictly implemented due to the high cost involved in purchasing materials such as bagasse. “Bagasse will cost at least `6 and the cloth bags we use now costs `5. As per the directions, after October 2 we will switch to bagasse to parcel food,” said Nizamuddin K P, owner of VRR catering service.
“We had a meeting with railway authorities last week regarding the use of eco-friendly materials. We support the decision and have decided to use only paper cups and paper bags. Though eatables like sandwiches and burgers now come covered in a thin sheet of plastic, we are planning to remove it once we find an alternative,” said Remani, a vendor.
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