Special Seminar:Southern Railways and Indian Cleaning Industry
In a first-of-its-kind forums, the Clean India Show 2008 provided a unique platform for the Southern Railways and the Indian Cleaning Industry to deliberate and provide solutions to the imminent cleaning and hygiene needs of the railways. S. Anantharaman, Chief Commercial Manager/Passenger Management, Southern Railways, made a presentation on the cleaning practices adopted by the railways for tracks, platforms, coaches – inside and outside, toilets and yards. He explained how both mechanised and manual cleaning are being done but have failed to achieve the desired standards and results.
“Cleanliness is the avowed motto of the Railways and it is taking initiative to ensure it. It’s very easy to talk about cleanliness but difficult to achieve it.” Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry and parts of Andhra and Karnataka come under the SR. It is determined that 10,000 passengers generate 144 cubic feet of garbage and nearly 21.6 tonnes per day of garbage in SR.
Putting it more precisely, he said in Chennai Central itself the amount of garbage generated each day could fill two and a half average marine containers. “SR has taken a decision to maintain hygienic conditions using modern technology. We realise that we cannot deal with a problem of such proportions using conventional or conservative methods. We have to progress to modern methods.”
The commitment of the SR towards cleaning practices is evident with the General Manager of SR spending close half a day at the exhibition. He convened a meeting of the top officials soon after returning to his office to discuss solutions and what all could be adopted to maintain cleanliness.
The SR saw the context of this seminar with the cleaning industry to bring forth ideas to solve cleaning problems. “We want the management principle or co-makership of private-public partnership to achieve a level of cleanliness that would benefit all.”
Initiatives
Identifying the area for cleanliness
- Categorising stations
- Deployment of activities (machine vs manpower)
Appointment of agencies for maintenance of cleanliness
To maintain hygiene using modern technology
Strategy
Demarcation of sanitation functions
- Development of infrastructure
- Garbage disposal mechanisms
- Modern systems and processes for cleaning
- Provision for adequate drainage and water supply
Motivation
- How to motivate the people involved in cleaning
- How to use the facilities in a more responsible way which will not come in the way of cleanliness
- A deterrent action against erring people
Ensuring adequate supervisors
Action Plan
Development of infrastructure
- Provision for: high pressure jet cleaners, adequate dustbins, proper pathways incinerators, waste disposal systems, effluent treatment plants…
- Rehabilitation of sewer lines, septic tanks using modern technology
- Station platforms, circulating and concourse areas should be paved with kota / marble stones, keeping in view of mechanised cleaning systems.
Mechanised cleaning process through specialised agencies
Awarding of periodical contracts
- Rag picking, Garbage disposal, One time cleaning and Pest control
Tools and equipment
- Scrubber and flipper for platform surface and circulating area
- Soft and hard choke cleaning machines for cleaning of drains
- Closed container/trolleys and dustbins of appropriate design and size for keeping garbage
- Vacuum operated sweeping machines to be used in large stations
Launching of special drives
- Aim to keep station area and drains clean
- By efficient supervision, ensuring cleanliness at all times
- Staff responsible for cleaning (safaiwalas or contractual) should wear conspicuous colour uniforms for easy identification
- Ensuring adequate stock of all types cleaning materials
- Ensuring proper usage of cleaning machines for quality
- Launching mass awareness through press
- Ensuring compliance of all above through surprise checks
The session after the presentation was opened to the Indian cleaning industry to provide solutions. The question answer session that followed:
Sunil Kapoor of Manmachine: Under the PPP, the Railways would like the contactors to procure the machine. The specific size of equipment, if not the type, is basically not drawn. Therefore the contract ends up as a shrunk contract. The money goes out of the Railways but the cleaning is not seen. Hence, when such a contract is signed up, if the actual size of the equipment is defined, it would help the industry.
RAILWAYS: To avoid spurious machines being used, the contract should mention the specification and give broad parameters of machines. We are already specifying in the case of mechanised cleaning of coaches. We will look into other areas also.
RAILWAYS: We entered into contract with private agencies in major stations for cleaning the stations premises, waiting rooms and station yards. We have specified the machines to be used. Measures are also being taken for rodent control. Compared to earlier years we have already improved, we hope to improve further.
Bhanumoorthy Reddy (running a cleaning agency): The contract agreement and tender forms needs to be changed. The tender is being given for a very short period which makes it difficult for contractors to invest in good mechanised cleaning equipment. Hence the contractor opts to L1 policy where he may not follow the rules or statutory requirement; just sign and take up the job. L1 should not be the criteria.
RAILWAYS: We are already going for contracts valid for three years instead of one year so that the industry can invest in machines and manpower. Coming to L1, it is not the policy of the Railways to go for L1. We have elevated criteria in the tender itself. Then we consider the L1 within the elevated criteria. There is a committee of officers who consider the best and cheapest.
Mazhar of Mazaf International: As Anantharaman has rightly pointed out, it is only while the train is on the move that cleanliness is the main problem. The contract agencies clean the coaches only at the stations where the train halts, why not have safaiwalas on the train for every three to four coaches to take up the cleaning when the train is on the run. It would help the industry to perform better.
RAILWAYS: For long distance train, we already have the railway safaiwalas travelling on trains like GT, Tamil Nadu. In some short distance trains like Shatabdi we have them. Now we have started another practice where the agency cleaning the trains will also have their staff on board to ensure continuous cleaning. There are about seven to eight such staff, who ply on 24-coach trains. This is being followed only on day trains.
Sumeet Khurana: What about toilets?
RAILWAYS: We are facing a real problem. We have advised people not to use the toilet when the trains are parked but it is going on. As a measure we are using jet cleaning machines and drains which are pushed into the train. We have tried using new techniques like biological toilets but it has not worked out.
Sumeet Khurana: I have some ideas and not solutions which cou
ld be realised in partnership with the railways. Siblia is a big industrial vacuum system. These have big vacuum suction systems which can be stationed anywhere in a corner at the railway system. A dirty railway track, a suction system or a vacuum unit placed at a corner in the railway station, fixed piping at various points not only for track but for multiple application like for cleaning the roofs and on 100 metres on eith er side have fixed / flexible points collection for the entire width of the track. The problem of night soil and track cleaning can be addressed with this very high speed suction system pick up and collect it into pre-separators which can be lifted. This is something I saw at a railway station in Europe and thought it could be adopted.
RAILWAYS: Will it be able to suck water?
SK: The suction sy stem collects everything irrespective of its nature. It should cost in the range of र 60-70 lakhs but then it would depend on the number of collection point and the size of the system. It has no moving parts and hardly any maintenance as it is running on a low rpm motor. The machine can be operated in both direct and battery. The hose has a thickness of 100mm. The model I am talking about has capacity of 16 cubic metres per hours of sucking sand, so when it comes to collecting trash the capacity may go down. So we are talking about a capacity of around 10 cubic tonnes and can have multiple collection points. Even if there is excess of water it can be quickly directed into another collection point.
Arun Thapar, MD, Inventa Cleantech Pvt. Ltd spoke on coach cleaning with automatic coach washing plant, first of its kind in India. Using around 2000-4000 litres water, in this system the rake passes through the plant and in 30 minutes the whole exterior is washed. This requires only one operator. This water can also be recycled. There are various stages which takes care of the entire exterior include the under carriage. One of such coach washing plant is likely to commence at Hathia station soon. He also discussed several other systems for coach cleaning within and other areas.
Anantharaman: There are equipment manufacturers but what SR is looking for is a single window service provider which would bring in a synergy to all th ese equipment and evolve the use of these equipment. It would be very useful and ultimately we would have someone responsible for the final product which is cleanliness. Piecemeal management to various issues which we have been discussing may not be the answer to the kind of burgeoning needs of traffic and passenger pressure. I would like the industry to take a stance and form a marriage of equipment manufacturers and facility management companies and bring forth solutions.
Sunil Kapoor discussed various kinds of equipment that could used in the circulating area, concourse area, platforms and track cleaning at small, medium and large stations. Among the new systems, he spoke of the dry ice blasting system which is anti-corrosive and anti-rust.
Manoj Nag Choudhury, DGM- Eureka Forbes discussed the applications of various machines at the railway station, tracks and coaches.
Christian Lange of Christian Lange SA introduced the new Glutton to the railways.
Both the Railway officials and the cleaning industry felt that the interaction had been very fruitful. Concluding the session, Editor Mangala Chandran said that more such sessions could be organised by Clean India Journal at regular intervals.
