Railways - On the Green Track

The Railways are the most environment-friendly transportation system in the country. And the National Rail Museum (NRM) which preserves the rich heritage and the culture of the Indian Railways is doing everything to popularise the theme of green railways. The effort that started last year from June 5 to July 17 as a festival called Van Mahotsav in coordination with Lions Club Delhi Metropolitan has already changed the look of the place.

On World Environment Day, which was celebrated on June 5 last year, a 40-day plantation drive was launched by NRM. Three thousand saplings of different varieties were planted on the museum’s premises. The campaign ended on July 17 with numerous social development activities aimed at the poor and the physically handicapped children organised on that day. Special concessions were also made available to children.

Van Mahotsav not only showcases the contribution of the Railways towards preserving the environment but also highlights the active role played by NRM in promoting an environmentally conscious society through various non-formal education programmes and activities. The agenda focusses on rail travel as energy-efficient and environment-friendly; lays stress on growing more trees and decries the felling of trees; calls for proper arrangement for garbage and sewage disposal, attempts to create awareness about synergy between transport, energy and environment; and tries to inculcate values on protecting and preserving the environment.

Special care has been taken by the authorities to project NRM not only as a tourist landmark that provides amusement through education but build it up as another haven for nature-lovers. It is in this light that environment-friendly steps like planting of trees and maintaining a clean and pollution free ambience for visitors have been accorded prime importance. The trains that are in operation like the joy train and the Mono Rail of Maharaja Patiala are only hauled by steam locomotives. There are lush green trees all around. The fragrance of flowers wafts across the entire area and refreshes visitors as they stare in awe, locomotives and other works of genius spanning over 150 years and glean information about them. The rolling juggernauts are no longer running over iron rails in the heat and dust and spewing fumes of smoke. They stand majestically on the verdant landscape and are proof of days of glory. Now visitors, catalogue in hand, can ramble around the exhibits that dot a large area, sit under a tree and wonder at these bewitching rail beauties that rode majestically in days of yore.

This year the museum authorities have launched another plantation drive starting from World Environment Day. Around 1,000 saplings of 25 varieties appropriate to the area are being planted over 10 acres. Plans are also afoot to organise programmes and activities somewhere around August under Van Mahotsav.