Mumbai: Throw trash on railway tracks and cops could toss you in jail

Throwing trash on the railway tracks will now land citizens in jail, with the Central Railway (CR) authorities and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) stepping up their efforts to clean up both rubbish and drug abuse on the tracks.

Following a series of reports in mid-day about drug peddlers running their business on railway tracks, the authorities found that heaps of rubbish lying on the tracks made it easy for the criminals to hide there.

This paper reported that the CR then initiated a pilot project to clean up tracks between CSMT and Sandhurst Road station to render the spots useless for peddlers. Officials then placed a green screen along the tracks to prevent trash from thrown there, as well as prevent entry to peddlers. On February 25, this paper again reported that the green screen went missing. Now, the CR and RPF are trying a different tactic, going on the offence.

Punishment
The RPF is also serving notices to citizens living in hutments by the tracks, warning them of punishment of they throw rubbish on or around the rail lines. The notice states, "We are alerting you to not throw garbage on railway tracks. If the authorities catch violators, action will be taken under Section 145 (spreading filth, waste in railway or railway premises) and 154 (endangering safety of persons travelling by railway by rash or negligent act) of the Railway Act."

As per the law, a violation of Section 145 will may the accused imprisonment for six months and a fine of Rs 500 in case of conviction for a second or repeat offence. Flouting Section 154 can result in imprisonment for up to a year and/or a fine.

A senior railway officials said, "We have asked our officers to connect with local stationmasters and identify locations that are most affected by garbage, and then started distributing notices to the residents there."

Another officer added, "Rubbish on railway premises is most dangerous, as it may catch fire, it may go on the tracks and cause to disturbances in train operations. In addition, drug addicts also find it easier to hide there, since the dirt and smeel keeps most people away."

Letter to police
Meanwhile, CR's Engineering department has also written to local police stations, requesting the cops to book people who throw waste on railway tracks and premises. The letter was sent to Dongri, RA Kidwai Marg, Sion and Matunga police stations, under whose jurisdiction the trash menace has been going on. Sandeep Bhagdikar, senior inspector at Dongri police station, said, "As of now, we haven't received any letter from the railways."

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