Railways take lead in holding series of sustainability initiatives
The Thiruvananthapuram Division of Southern Railway has implemented a series of sustainability initiatives as part of the Centre's Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) campaign aimed at promoting environmental responsibility and sustainable practices across the railway network.
According to division authorities, they conducted 40 environmental pledge and awareness programmes with the participation of 2,315 individuals, encouraging collective commitment to environmental conservation.
A total of 35 tree/saplings plantation programmes were held at various stations, resulting in the planting of 1,210 saplings. Additionally, 32 saplings distribution programmes enabled the distribution of 1,131 saplings to railway employees, passengers, and general public. Efforts to raise public awareness included 17 awareness rallies, with 945 participants, and 17 drawing competitions, involving 1,064 students. Informational outreach was also organised through 35 pamphlet/leaflet distribution programmes, reaching out to 2,750 stakeholders.
Sustainable behaviours
As part of waste management and cleanliness initiatives, the division organised 30 Shramadhan (voluntary clean-up) activities, with the participation of 2,660 individuals. A total of 27 awareness programmes were also conducted, with 4,418 participants from various stakeholder groups. In addition, 17 poster exhibitions organised were visited by 1,597 individuals, while 17 'No Plastic Drives' had 1,015 participants, promoting the reduction of single-use plastics. The division also conducted four Nukkad Natak, song, and street play performances with 170 student participants to promote sustainable behaviours through cultural programmes.
To further engage the public, selfie point booths were set up, attracting thousands of passengers. A webinar on land restoration and drought resilience was also conducted with 50 participants. In parallel with these environmental efforts, the division commemorated 100 years of electric traction, highlighting the milestone achievement in sustainable energy use for railway operations. The initiatives undertaken during 2024-25 reflect the division's commitment to supporting the national objectives of the LiFE campaign while enhancing public participation and awareness in the areas of environmental protection, energy efficiency, afforestation, and sustainable transport, said the authorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Vidarbha's ‘Zudpi' scrub lands are ‘forest' lands: how SC ruling has struck a balance between development and environment concerns
After several decades of litigation over about 86,000 hectares of Zudpi jungle (shrub forest) lands peculiar to Maharashtra's eastern Vidarbha region, the Supreme Court last month ruled that such lands should be considered as 'forest' lands. On May 22, the top court provided clarity on the usage of Zudpi lands, saying they cannot be converted without prior approval from the central government, and only after complying with the conditions laid down by the court. An official report referred to by the court says Zudpi is a Marathi word that literally translates to bushes or shrubs, and Zudpi land means an inferior type of unoccupied land with bushy growth. The term was used for all wastelands that were not occupied by individual farmers for cultivation and other purposes. According to the report, Zudpi jungle lands are peculiar to six districts of eastern Vidarbha (Nagpur division) – Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Wardha, and Gondia – and have been used for non-forest purposes for the past several decades. These lands, traditionally used for grazing, were classified as Gairan under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. For decades, legal status uncertain Vidarbha's Zudpi lands remained in a legal limbo for decades due to administrative lapses, inconsistent government actions, and contrasting interpretations of India's forest laws. Initially vested with the Revenue Department, these lands were used for development, public amenities like schools, health centres, water pipelines, burial grounds, and for allotment to landless farmers. They were also used for infrastructure projects, including railways, defence, and irrigation. After the reorganisation of states in 1960, similar lands elsewhere in Maharashtra were recorded as Gairan or Gurcharan. However, in Vidarbha, they continued to be classified as 'Zudpi Jungle' due to bureaucratic inaction. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (FCA) prohibited diversion of forest land without the Centre's approval. However, in November 1987, the Maharashtra government issued an order declaring Zudpi lands as 'scrub forests' that would not attract the provisions of FCA, and handed them to the Revenue Department for afforestation and grazing purposes. This 1987 Government Order was challenged by the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. While this plea was pending, the Centre in February 1992 changed and relaxed its earlier position. It clarified that Zudpi Jungle would continue to be treated as 'forest lands' under the FCA; however, for the part of Zudpi lands that were used for non-forest purposes, the state government shall make a proposal to the Centre seeking its approval under the FCA. Taking a cue from the Centre's decision, the Maharashtra government in 1994 withdrew its 1987 order. With these changing positions, ambiguity prevailed until the Supreme Court's December 12, 1996 judgment in the 'TN Godavarman Thirumulpad' case, which stated that Zudpi lands would also be treated as 'forest lands' under the FCA. In 1998, a High-Powered Committee appointed by the state government recommended that 92,115 hectares should be declared protected forests and 86,409 hectares that were unfit for forest use should be de-notified. Eight years ago, the state government again pushed to denotify Zudpi jungle lands. In 2019, the Maharashtra government, through the Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, filed an interim application and sought the SC's approval to exclude the latter category of land from the purview of FCA. The SC formed a Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which filed its first report after site visits. Since some issues were yet to be resolved, the SC last year sought another report from the CEC. This report formed the basis of the SC's May 22, 2025 verdict. GOVERNMENT: The Maharashtra government argued that Zudpi lands were never forest lands, and due to the reorganisation of states and the inaction of certain officials, the revenue records were never corrected. As such, these lands continued to be erroneously described as Zudpi lands in revenue records. The state argued that denying it relief would lead to 'grave and irreparable damage' to lakhs of citizens, and would stall several projects. INTERVENER: Environmentalist Prasad Khale, intervener in the case, however, argued that de-notifying these lands would degrade healthy forests and disrupt wildlife corridors. He submitted that the 2025 CEC report had ignored ecological concerns, including those of wildlife corridors and the protection of scrub forests, which should not be used for non-forest activities. SC directives strike a balance The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and Justice Augustine Masih said that it could arrive at a solution to 'balance the rights of the citizens at large on one hand and the interest of the environment on the other hand' due to the efforts made by the CEC. The SC recognised that a large number of Zudpi lands in Nagpur city alone had public utilities such as the High Court building, defence buildings, state secretariat, graveyards, etc. It said citizens residing on these lands for years, or farmers could not be deprived of their residence or livelihood. Therefore, the Supreme Court held that Zudpi jungle lands would be treated as forests, but made exceptions for lands allotted for non-forest use before December 12, 1996. For such lands, where classification (purpose) hadn't changed, the state would be required to obtain the Centre's approval under Section 2 of the FCA for their deletion from the list of forest areas. The court said the Centre shall consider proposals without imposing compensatory afforestation conditions, and should not seek deposition of Net Present Value (NPV) levies. The court directed the Centre and the state to consult and finalise a proposal format within three months with prior approval of the CEC. For post-December 12, 1996 allotments of Zudpi lands, the Centre shall process proposals only after ascertaining reasons and ensuring action against the officers who took allotment decisions in violation of the SC's directions. Special Task Forces in each district will remove encroachments made after October 25, 1980, within two years. All commercial allotments post-October 25, 1989, are to be treated as encroachments. The court clarified no land may be diverted to non-government entities after scrutiny. The Revenue Department must transfer remaining Zudpi lands to the Forest Department within a year, which are to be used for compensatory afforestation. Other Zudpi lands will not be allowed for compensatory afforestation unless certified by the Chief Secretary. Benefitting the state's development plans The verdict has in some ways paved the way for infrastructure and other development works that the state government plans to undertake on certain tracts of lands, after obtaining approval from the central government. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the ruling, calling it a boost to Vidarbha's stalled development. The CEC will monitor the transfer of forest land, as directed by the SC. States and Union Territories have been directed to reclaim possession of such lands from occupiers and hand them over to the Forest Department. The SC had said that if reclaiming possession is not in the public interest, the state/UTs shall recover land costs from occupiers and use them to develop forests.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Goa to submit eco-sensitive plan to Centre, seeks fresh survey under PMAY
PANAJI : Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that Goa aims to be the first state to prepare and submit an eco-sensitive plan to the Centre. 'Goa will be the first state to submit an eco-sensitive zone plan to the Centre. We are working on sustainable development; there is no haphazard management,' said Sawant at the regional rural workshop for the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin). Sawant said that Goa govt is formulating schemes so that even people from the OBC and economically weaker sections can get proper houses in Goa. 'Under the PMAY , we have just 250 beneficiaries. Of those more than 240 houses were already built. But there is a need to conduct a fresh survey under this scheme,' said Sawant. He said that some of the prospective beneficiaries migrated to other states, while there are some people who did not qualify for the scheme even though they required houses. 'There are some people who are living in a joint family, and they cannot benefit from these schemes. We need to expand this scheme, extend the benefits, but these people must settle in the villages and not in the towns,' said Sawant. The chief minister said that people must be encouraged to stay in the villages. 'If people migrate from villages to towns, the ecosystem will be disturbed. For this ecosystem not to get disturbed, people must be encouraged to stay in the villages. I am sure the Centre will think about this too. It is necessary that people get houses in their own villages,' he said. Sawant said that Goa is the first state to ensure that all central schemes reach every citizen in the state. 'We succeeded in taking all the schemes to at least 90% of the people. There may be a few people who were not able to benefit from the schemes,' he said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Disaster readiness: DC seeks updated details from depts
Chandigarh: The UT deputy commissioner has instructed all departments to submit updated details of their available resources as part of the Centre's ongoing update of the Indian Disaster Resource Network (IDRN). The data will be uploaded on the IDRN portal to ensure better coordination and a clearer understanding of the equipment, supplies, and support systems required for effective crisis management. The DC has corresponded with several top officials and authorities, including the municipal commissioner, tourism director, social welfare director, engineering departments of the corporation, and the Red Cross nodal office, requesting prompt compliance. Despite these departments possessing resources, their precise details remain unregistered in the system. "It is requested to provide the details of resources and equipment available in your department or agency, such as rescue and emergency vehicles, communication devices, medical supplies, and rescue equipment. This information will enable us to update and upload the details on the IDRN portal ( which will facilitate resource mapping, sharing, and coordination among various stakeholders during disaster response and management efforts," the request reads. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Преносим лазерен заваръчен пистолет, 50% отстъпка в нов магазин HEO Купете сега Undo According to sources, previous requests for information updates went unanswered, prompting another communication to all relevant departments. The Centre's keen interest in the matter has also been conveyed to the departments concerned. "Whatever resources the department has must be updated so that the details of each resource can be accessed quickly. Once updated on the portal, the information will be available to all concerned, allowing timely use without any additional processes or formalities. Moreover, it is crucial to upload all information to the portal for the Centre's awareness, so that, if needed, these resources can also be provided to neighbouring states during crises. The situation could be of any nature — natural, war-like, or any other kind of disaster," an official said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
