Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has launched a fortnight-long Swachhata Abhiyan, from August 1 to 15, with a focus on ensuring cleanliness across railway stations, trains, offices, workshops, maintenance depots, hospitals and residential areas under its jurisdiction.

This massive cleanliness drive is being carried out to create awareness and inspire collective action towards maintaining a clean and green India. On the inaugural day of Swachhata Abhiyan, ECoR General Manager Parmeshwar Funkwal administered the Swachhata pledge to all staff and officers. The pledge emphasised the importance of personal responsibility in maintaining cleanliness with employees committing to keep their premises clean and motivate the general public to do the same.

As part of Swachhata Abhiyan, ECoR has planned a series of large-scale cleanliness activities, focusing on engaging railway employees, passengers and stakeholders in sustained cleanliness efforts. These activities include special drives at railway stations, painting and drawing competitions themed around cleanliness to raise awareness, anti-littering campaigns, focus on maintaining cleanliness within trains, especially in coaches, toilet blocks and pantry cars, clean water installations, soliciting passenger feedback on the quality of food served and the cleanliness of the premises and amenities.

The Swachhata pledge taken by ECoR employees includes a commitment to devote 100 hours annually towards cleanliness activities and encourage at least 100 other individuals to do the same.