The Railways Green Army…….PrashantRangnekar
In their free time, these rail employees work to produce vermicompost in the Matunga workshop
In their free time, these rail employees work to produce vermicompost in the Matunga workshop
Their main job is to ensure that Mumbais lifeline runs smoothly, but in their spare time, a group of 15 to 20 railway employees at the Matunga Railway Workshop devote their time to doing something productive for society.
All volunteers associated with the Aniruddha Academy of Disaster Management (AADM), these railway employees have been actively involved in preparing vermicompost in large pits in the workshop area, using commonly available household waste.
On of these volunteers is Dinesh More, a sectional engineer in the cushioning department, who spearheads the project. More and his associates also offer free consultancy services on preparing vermicompost to other institutions and organisations in and around the Mumbai and Konkan region.
Two years ago, the workshop was awarded the ISO 14001 certificate. However, before it was issued, the Central Railway was asked to create a vermicompost plant within the premises. The officials of Matunga workshop had even thought of floating tenders to build the vermicompost plant, an effort that would have cost the Central Railway about Rs 10 lakh. It was then that the chief workshop manager happened to hear of Mores skill and requested him to set up the plant.
Today, the workshop produces 6,000 kg of vermicompost fertiliser annually. The compost is used by the railways in their gardens and is also given free of cost to railway employees, says A K Tiwari, Chief Workshop Manager (CWM) of the Matunga workshop.
The volunteers use all types of organic waste in preparing this fertiliser. The lush green area between Matunga and Dadar provides ample raw material for preparing the waste. We get enough waste from the workshops canteen and even the dead leaves of the trees can be used, says Sandesh Narvekar, another volunteer who works as a machinist in the workshop. More importantly, it also helps to reduce the load on citys dumping ground.
This exercise does not affect regular work as the volunteers carry out this work during the lunch break, adds Tiwari
Interestingly, the workshop also has a plant that treats waste water before it is released into the drains.
This plant not only keeps the workshop area devoid of any organic waste but also helps in keeping the railway areas green through the use of indigenously made fertiliser. This is a good example of what voluntary work can achieve, says Shriniwas Mudgerikar, chief spokesperson for the Central Railway.