From the time the Pune Railway Division has started their cleanliness drive in May, authorities have caught 289 people for littering in the railway premises; almost three people every day.

The drive, that has collected Rs 28,900 in fines in the last 90 days, has been initiated to keep the railway premises, especially the platforms, free of litter.

Public Relations Officer of Pune Railway division, Yogendra Kumar Singh, said, “It is important that we keep railway premises clean. Our objective here is not to penalise the person littering, but to spread the message among people about the importance of keeping public spaces clean.”

“At the same time, we are trying to educate commuters by putting up posters and street plays to use dustbins. Those caught littering are liable to pay as much as Rs 500 as fine,” Singh added.

Hemant Tapale, president of Pune-Mumbai Railway Pravasi Sangh, said, “There are many who access the platform without a platform ticket and litter the premises. Such cleanliness and ticket checking drives are necessary, and people should understand the importance of keeping public areas clean.”

Similar sentiments were shared by Harsha Shah, president of Railway Pravasi Group: “Citizens have to be disciplined, because they are unwilling to change. In other countries, people don’t litter, as they have to pay a hefty fine if they are caught. Anyone who litters should be asked to clean up the platform; only then they will learn.”