Eco-friendly ‘Kulhads’ to replace plastic teacups in train stations: Piyush Goyal | Photo credit: BCCL
Jaipur: The tea will be sold in environment-friendly ‘kulhads’ (earthenware cups) instead of plastic cups at all train stations in the country, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.
The North Western Railway area has directed its officials to implement measures to ensure the use of green catering products at Indian Railways stations. So now 25 more train stations would serve tea and other food in Kulhads and eco-friendly plates / bowls, according to a PTI report. These stations are Bikaner, Sirsa, Shri Ganganagar, Hisar, Churu, Suratgarh, Jodhpur, Bhiwani, Hanumangarh, Pali, Ajmer, Udaipur, Barmer, Nagpur, Luni, Jaipur, Jhunjhuna, Jaisalmer, Bhagat Ki Kothi, Nagar, Gagandhi Stations Sikar, Sirohi Road and Abu Road.
Currently, the Varanasi and Rae Bareli railway stations already use terracotta products for restoration.
The minister spoke at an event organized at the Dhigawara railway station in the Alwar district of Rajasthan to mark the inauguration of the newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section under the North Western Railway.
The national carrier has decided to use them in up to 400 train stations throughout the country. A few months ago it was reported that to meet the growing demand for kulhads, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) was instructed to provide equipment for the large-scale production of kulhads.
This initiative will be the Railways’ contribution towards a plastics-free India, Goyal said.
“Tea is offered in ‘kulhad’ in almost 400 railway stations in the country today, and in the future, we plan that tea will be sold only in kulhads in all railway stations in the country. This will be the contribution of Railways to plastic free India, “he said.
The kulhads save the environment and thousands of people can get jobs with them, Goyal added.
