Soon, instead of piles of garbage, suburban commuters will see patches of flowers from moving trains. The Central Railway (CR) is planning to grow roses, marigolds, chrysanthemums and a few other seasonal flowers along the tracks on vacant pieces of land in the suburban section of the city.
In the Mumbai division, more than 100 acres of land is currently being used for floriculture or cultivation of non-edible farm products
Confirming the development, a senior CR official said the tendering process has already begun and expressions of interest will be invited in a few days. The initiative is aimed at beautifying the area, keeping the tracks clean, protecting the unused land from encroachment and generating non-fare revenue
Speaking about the plan, the official said, “the sight of garbage and overflowing drains along railway tracks adds to the woes of passengers. Besides being an eyesore, garbage or debris along tracks is a health and safety hazard.
It is generally dumped by people who live in slums close to the tracks, but passengers also contribute by littering. It is a herculean task for the railways to collect and dispose of this garbage.” Under the 'Grow More Food' scheme, vacant land in the Mumbai Division was being licensed to serving railway employees for a nominal fee, for the cultivation of vegetables.
This was done to protect the railway land from encroachments and abuse through garbage dumping. The railways' license agreement stipulates that the cultivator has to source potable water from a well or bore well.
However, a number of NGOs have expressed concerns about the quality of water being used for the cultivation of these vegetables. “Keeping in mind all these issues, the idea of floriculture in place of vegetable cultivation was mooted by CR's Mumbai Division,” said the official.
