The green touch

From scapping use of plastic in catering items to harnessing solar power, the railway budget has looked at achieving energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. The railways will switch to agro-based and recycled material for catering services. The transporter also plans to set up an energy management company to harness wind and solar power.

"Railways remain firmly committed to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development and use of energy-efficient technologies," Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in his budget speech.

Plans include setting up 75 MW windmills besides using solar power for 1,000 level crossings. Bansal said a Railway Energy Management Company would be set up to harness wind and solar energy.

The railways will set up six more Rail Neer bottling plants at Vijayawada, Nagpur, Lalitpur, Bilaspur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, besides identifying and selling scrap throughout the next year.

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