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Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Back to the kulhad: Railways swap paper cups for clay at 12 WR stations, but vendors cry foul
MUMBAI: In a move aimed at cutting down plastic and paper waste, the Indian Railways has decided to bring back the humble kulhad—the eco-friendly, disposable clay cup—at select stations on the Western Railway (WR) network. But while the decision is rooted in sustainability, it has left many food stall owners steaming. (Shutterstock) The Railway Board recently issued fresh instructions making it mandatory for tea and buttermilk to be served in kulhads instead of paper cups at 12 stations on WR's suburban and mainline routes. These include key stations like Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Mumbai Central, Palghar and Dahanu Road, along with Bilimora, Valsad, Vapi, Navsari, Surat and Nandurbar. 'Food and juice stalls on platforms and concourses have been informed about the change,' confirmed a WR official. As per the new norms, tea must be served in 170 ml kulhads, and buttermilk in 220 ml ones. A throwback to Lalu's kulhad pitch This isn't the first time the kulhad has made its way into railway policy. The idea was first floated in 2004 by then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav as a way to support rural potters and promote cleanliness. The concept made a brief return in 2019 when Piyush Goyal, then Railways Minister, proposed using kulhads at over 400 stations—touting it as a win-win for the environment and India's pottery industry. But in both instances, the initiative failed to find long-term footing. Higher costs, inconsistent supply, and logistical issues led to a quiet return of cheaper paper and plastic cups. Now, it's official—again This time around, the Railways is pushing for what it calls 'kulhad compliance,' a term that sounds almost as earthy as the cups themselves. But stall owners aren't exactly raising a toast. 'It's just not practical,' said a member of the Western Railway Caterers Association. 'Our margins are already wafer-thin. A kulhad costs anywhere between ₹4 to ₹8, while a paper cup is just 50 paise to ₹1. Serving tea at ₹5 or ₹6 in a ₹6 cup doesn't make business sense.' Pricing, pottery, and practicality There's more. Most of these kulhads are custom-made and not easily available in bulk. In Mumbai, many are sourced from potters in Dharavi, but the supply isn't consistent—and costs can spike based on size and quality. The more polished porcelain versions seen in supermarkets are costlier still. Then there's the matter of logistics. Stall owners say they already lose up to 30% of paper cups in transit due to damage. Losing fragile kulhads in transport could make things worse. Cleanliness is another concern. 'Unlike paper cups that can be easily crushed and disposed of, broken kulhads lying around the station can be hazardous for passengers,' said a stall operator. Interestingly, most stalls don't even stock buttermilk regularly. 'It's time-consuming to prepare and there's low demand,' said another vendor. 'Our customers mostly buy tea, or cold drinks like nimbu paani and kokum.' 'While the Railways' kulhad push checks the right boxes in terms of sustainability and support to traditional potters, it may need a little more groundwork—literally and figuratively—to win over vendors who actually have to serve chai every day. Until then, for many of us, the kulhad might be a nice idea on paper—but far from a cup of tea we can afford,' said one of the vendors at the Western Line.
The Star
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sweet sips and even sweeter prices
Thirst quencher: Murali preparing a drink at his stall. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star IPOH: He has been selling lassi for almost two decades. When he first started, a lassi was RM2. Today, his yogurt-based drink is a mere RM2.50. 'As prices of ingredients have gone up over the years, I've had to raise my prices, but only by 10sen at a time,' said yoghurt seller M. Murali, 56. 'I don't want to increase it too much, as I want to try to ease people's burden. I think the prices of my drinks are among the lowest in town,' he said when met at his roadside stall in Taman Mas, Buntong, here. Despite rising costs, Murali firmly believes in keeping his drinks affordable for everyone. He said a takeaway packet of his mooru (traditional spiced yogurt-based drink) is priced at RM1.80. 'When I started the business about 19 years ago, my mooru was sold at RM1,' he said. Murali used to work in Singapore as a technician between 1991 and 1995. He returned to Ipoh to work in a factory before finding himself out of a job in 2000. At one point, he sold santan at the main wet market in Ipoh. 'One hot sunny day, I noticed that many people would drink mooru. So I thought why not start something small to help people cool down in the heat? 'I only had a capital of RM30 but that was enough to prepare a single pot,' he said. His mooru often sold out within 30 minutes, and this motivated him to continue. Six months later, he began selling lassi, experimenting with various fruit flavours and letting his children try them before offering them to customers. These days, Murali earns between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month. On weekdays, he can get about 100 customers, and up to 300 on weekends. However, sales can be unpredictable, and he cannot operate on rainy days. His wife M. Gowri, 53, helps out at times. The couple have three children – M. Thishan, 24, who is pursuing a degree in software engineering, M. Shantini, 21, a nursing diploma student and M. Dhinasah, 19, a foundation programme student. 'My wife works as a company administrator. She helps whenever she can while all three of my children would pitch in during their semester break,' said Murali. He also has a buddy, R. Maniam, 63, who helps him at the stall which opens daily from noon to 5pm except for rainy days.
The South African
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates hand trial to Zambian striker Enock Sakala
Orlando Pirates have welcomed Zambian striker Enock Sakala to their pre-season training camp as the 23-year-old looks to reignite a once-promising career. The free agent, who recently left Chippa United after a brief spell, now trains under the watchful eye of new head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. Sakala joined Chippa in February following a stint with Egyptian outfit Modern Sport, making six appearances and scoring once before his contract ended. His presence in Pirates' Inside BucsCamp pre-season video has set tongues wagging, as fans speculate over a potential signing. Sakala's football journey began brightly at ZESCO United, where his goal-scoring exploits earned him national recognition. He became one of the top forwards in Zambia's domestic league and a key figure in the junior national teams. His breakthrough came in 2022 when Zambia lifted the COSAFA Cup in South Africa, and he finished the domestic season with 12 goals. But his move to Egypt didn't deliver the expected success. A lack of playing time and limited impact saw his career stall, followed by a short-term contract at Chippa United that also failed to reignite his form. Now under the spotlight at Orlando Pirates, Sakala trains with renewed purpose as he attempts to earn a spot in the squad for the upcoming Betway Premiership season. However, a source suggests his fate remains undecided. 'Sakala has only trained twice since arriving on Friday and won't travel to Spain. A final decision on him will be made later,' said a source. Orlando Pirates may represent Sakala's best shot at resurrecting his career. Once hailed as a future star, he now faces the ultimate test, proving he still belongs at the top level of African football. The coming days could decide whether he becomes part of the Buccaneers' plans or continues his search for a new home. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Mint
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
BJP MPs protest parliament panel inviting Prakash Raj, Medha Patkar; meeting cancelled
A parliamentary committee meeting ended abruptly on July 1 as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs protested against the panel's decision to hear activist Medha Patkar and actor-turned-activist Prakash Raj. The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, had called Patkar and Raj to hear her views on the implementation and effectiveness of the land acquisition law enacted by Parliament when the Congress-led UPA government was in power in 2013. Patkar had led protests against raising the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat and is accused by the ruling party of working against the country's development interests in the name of public and environmental causes. Former Union minister and BJP MP Parshottam Rupala was joined by other lawmakers from his party as they walked out of the meeting, with some dubbing Patkar as "anti-national". A BJP MP wondered if leaders from Pakistan could also be called to such a meeting, news agency PTI said, Ulaka, the panel's chairperson, however, defended the decision, saying that it is standard practice for a parliamentary committee to hear civil society members and other stakeholders on various issues. "We wanted to hear their views on the land acquisition law. We wanted an opinion from everyone, but they (BJP) didn't allow it," he told news agency PTI. Out of the 29 members of the committee, 14 members, including the chairman, were present, and a majority of them were from the BJP and its allies. The meeting's agenda was to hear from different stakeholders on the implementation and effectiveness of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, a UPA-era Act. Representatives of the Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, non-government organisations (NGOs), experts, and other stakeholders were to speak before the panel. Among those invited before the panel were officials from the Environment and Forest Ministry and activists, including Patkar and Prakash Raj, also an actor who has often criticised the BJP's politics. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda also attended the meeting, according to PTI. A BJP MP said they were not told about the decision to ask Patkar to share her views with the committee. Generally, sources said, it is the chairman's prerogative to pick names, though members can make suggestions. A BJP member said their primary objection was to calling Patkar, who was the face of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' protest against a determined push by the Gujarat government, headed then by Narendra Modi as chief minister, to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The state government's views finally prevailed, and Modi, who took over as prime minister in 2014, has often spoken about the efforts to stall the project since its foundation in the 1960s. As the BJP MPs walked out, Ulaka said he decided to end the meeting due to a lack of quorum. "As per rule, a quorum of 10 members is required. When the BJP MPs walked out, there was no quorum, and the meeting ended," he said. BJP MPs objected to Patkar appearing before the panel, and called her 'anti-national,' according to sources quoted by news agency PTI. A miffed MP also wondered if the prime minister of Pakistan could be called for questioning by the panel, the news agency report said. When the meeting started, opposition MPs were of the opinion that Patkar should be heard, to which the BJP MPs did not agree. Asked about the incident, Patkar said she was invited to appear before the panel, and while she and others were waiting, they saw some MPs leave. We wanted to hear their views on the land acquisition law. We wanted an opinion from everyone, but they (BJP) didn't allow it. She added that later, they were informed that the meeting had ended. Patkar said she had also appeared before parliamentary committees earlier. "I have never experienced anything like this before. It is important to talk about the land acquisition law," she said.
Local France
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
French phrase of the Day: Tout ça pour ça
Why do I need to know tour ça pour ça? Because you'll hear this a lot when the French are being unimpressed with something, which happens quite frequently. What does it mean? Tout ça pour ça - roughly pronounced as too-sah-por-sah - literally translates as 'all that for this'. It's used when the amount of effort made or noise produced is disproportionate to what is actually achieved. It's basically a way of expressing that you are underwhelmed or unimpressed by something - perhaps something that promised much and delivered little, or something that generated a lot of noise or chatter but was actually unimportant. Advertisement It's a neat little shorthand way of expressing disappointment, and it's often followed by a shrug, a grimace or a hein? - in short it's a very French feeling. It's also the title of a Claude Lelouch film, released in 1993, in which two adulterous lovers concoct a highly elaborate plan which involves climbing Mont Blanc with their respective spouses. It carries the same sense of something highly complicated and dramatic just to try and cover up a fairly mundane affair. Use it like this En quittant la réunion, le syndicaliste a déclaré 'Rien à dire à part, tout ça pour ça' - Leaving the meeting, the union leader said 'I have nothing to say apart from - all that for this Tout ça pour ça : à Kiev, les négociations butent sur les tombes des soldats - All that for this - In Kyiv negotiations stall over soldiers' graves Tu as entendu le discours ? Tout ça pour ça, hein? - You heard the speech? A lot of noise about nothing, huh?
