The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has signed two pacts to develop the Guwahati railway station into a 100 per cent plastic recycling hub and for the introduction of biodegradable and compostable bags to replace the existing packets used for bedroll distribution in AC coaches.

Under the first memorandum of understanding, a tripartite agreement involving the Maligaon-headquartered NFR, the Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) and M/s Kusum Udyog was signed to develop the Guwahati railway station into a 100 per cent plastic recycling hub.

A dedicated six-member task force led by the station superintendent, Guwahati, has been constituted to steer the initiative faciliated by the expertise of PCBA and the operational role of M/s Kusum Udyog, an NFR statement said.

Efforts will include improving garbage storage infrastructure, operationalising a compost-making plant and organising frequent passenger awareness drives.

The second MoU, signed with IIT Guwahati, focuses on the introduction of biodegradable and compostable bags to replace the existing packets used for bedroll distribution in AC coaches.

The pilot project will begin with the Brahmaputra Mail operating between Kamakhya and New Delhi, with plans to scale the same initiative across all Guwahati and Kamakhya-based trains and eventually to the entire NFR network, the statement said. It added that the “initiative merges collaborative research with field-level implementation, targeting a shift towards eco-friendly, passenger-conscious alternatives”.

The MoUs were signed on Friday at an event chaired by Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, general manager of NFR.

By integrating environmental sustainability into its operational framework, the NFR aims to create a cleaner and greener railway ecosystem for the zone, the statement said.

Few days ago, the NFR had signed a memorandum with IIT Guwahati to carry out a “comprehensive survey” for the implementation of an eco-friendly waste management in its colonies located at Maligaon and Pandu here.

“As a part of this collaboration, IIT Guwahati will provide technical consultancy and conduct extensive field studies to assess the feasibility design and execution strategy of the proposed system (Integrated Garbage Treatment System),” the NFR had said, adding the initiative is expected “to set a benchmark in smart and sustainable waste disposal across railway establishments”.