Railway employees in Visakhapatnam take part in a cleanliness drive

Waltair Railway Division has been ramping up efforts to make Visakhapatnam railway station the cleanest in the country. With an eye on Gandhi Jayanti, the day when the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in India in 2014, a “Swachhta Hi Seva” Pakhwada is being organised by the Indian Railways. In this regard, Waltair Division has also been conducting a Swachhta Fortnight at the station which will culminate on 30 September, 2021. On Thursday, marking the eighth day of this fortnight, a cleanliness drive, as part of “Swachh Parisar” (Clean Workplace) programme, was conducted at all railway stations under the jurisdiction of the Waltair Division, including the DRM’s office in Visakhapatnam.

The railway employees came forward voluntarily and took part in this cleanliness drive, by cleaning their office premises and the station areas. Divisional Railway Manager, Anup Kumar Satpathy, spearheaded the cleanliness drive by performing cleaning activities at his office in Visakhapatnam.

Speaking on the occasion, DRM talked about the various cleanliness initiatives being taken up by the Waltair Railway Division. “Under Swachh Parisar (Clean Workplace), special attention is being given to the cleanliness of the employees’ workplaces, railway station platforms, foot-over bridges (FOBs), railway tracks, dustbins and waiting rooms. Cleanliness drives are being carried out by railway employees at the station premises, surrounding areas and other vulnerable places. In this regard, awareness drives are also being conducted and passengers are being informed about the need to keep the railway stations clean and adhere to Covid-19 norms.”

Back in 2017, when Visakhapatnam was deemed the third cleanest city in the Swachh Survekshan rankings, the city’s railway station had been declared as the cleanest

in the country, in a survey conducted by the Union Railway Ministry. Although, it has failed to hold that ranking since then and Waltair Railway Division is looking to bring Visakhapatnam railway station back on top.