Commemorating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi alongside nationwide cleanliness initiatives, Western Railway's Ahmedabad division organized an extensive exercise titled the Clean Track Mega Drive. Led by Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash, this large-scale initiative spanned key stations and railway premises across the division, mobilizing active participation from more than 10,000 railway employees, officers, and partner organizations.
Covering Track Length Equivalent to Kanyakumari to Kashmir
The scale of the initiative was highlighted by the fact that nearly 3,000 kilometers of railway track lines were thoroughly cleared within a single day. This operational distance roughly matches the expanse stretching from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. By carrying out synchronized sanitation work across varied segments of the division, the railway administration converted routine track maintenance into a model of collective community participation and organizational responsibility.
Pledge Precedes Division-Wide Action
The field operations formally commenced after officers, ground staff, sanitation workers, and members of the Scouts and Guides took a collective cleanliness pledge. Following the ceremony, dedicated field groups went to work. Station masters, supervisors, dedicated sanitation personnel, and other railway workers systematically cleaned the rail corridors and station environments starting from their base stations through to the adjoining stations.
Transformation Across 140 Stations and Residential Colonies
The comprehensive sanitation program extended across approximately 140 stations within the Ahmedabad division, reaching adjoining rail yards, railway housing colonies, health centers, and perimeter trackside sectors. Prominent hubs covered under this synchronized program included Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Viramgam, Maliya Miyana, Radhanpur, Dhrangadhra, Mehsana, Palanpur, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Asarwa, and Himmatnagar.
Safety Compliance and Volunteer Involvement
Beyond core operational staff, the workforce was bolstered by personnel from the Railway Protection Force, Scouts and Guides, railway families, voluntary welfare groups, and local partner entities who contributed voluntary labor. All track and trackside cleaning operations were carried out in strict accordance with mandatory railway safety standards and operational safeguards to preserve undisturbed train traffic while protecting working teams.
Fulfilling the Mandate for Year-Round Cleanliness
The Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology recently directed all railway zones, operational divisions, and ministerial units to elevate cleanliness into a sustained mass movement rather than confining it to a routine annual fortnight. The intensive operation in the Ahmedabad division serves as a concrete manifestation of that policy directive, reinforcing the vision of clean railways, clean tracks, and a clean India as an ongoing cultural discipline.
