Clearing of garbage along NMR tracks under way

The Forest Department, in collaboration with other departments and NGOs, has commenced the clearing of garbage alongside the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) tracks in the Nilgiris district based on the directions of the Madras High Court.

According to a Forest Department official, this was a collaborative effort by the district administration, local bodies, railway authorities and volunteers from NGOs and the clearing works began on Thursday. He recalled the inspection of Chief Wildlife Warden Shekar Kumar Niraj earlier in February regarding the retaining walls built along the NMR tracks between Coonoor and Kallar that were hindering elephant movement in the region.

“During the inspection, we observed that a lot of plastic [waste] was there on the tracks,” the official said. Based on these findings, the Madras High Court recently ordered the Collectors of Coimbatore and the Nilgiris districts to clear plastic and construction waste from the NMR tracks.

Meetings with other officials from Revenue Department, local bodies and Salem Railway Division were held to prevent accumulation of garbage along the railway tracks in the district, according to the official.

A senior NMR official said on Friday that passengers using the NMR train services had been instructed to not litter the tracks with plastic waste.