'Kulhad' to replace plastic tea cups at railway stations

Jaipur: Tea will be sold in environment-friendly 'Kulhads' (earthen cups) in place of plastic cups at all railway stations in the country, Railway minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday. Speaking at an event organised at the Digawara railway station in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the minister said the initiative will be the contribution of the Railways towards a plastic-free India.

"Tea is given in 'Kulhads' at nearly 400 railway stations in the country today, and in future, it is our planning that tea will be sold only in 'Kulhads' at all the railway stations in the country. This will be the contribution of the Railways towards a plastic-free India," he said.

The minister said before addressing this gathering, he was having tea in a 'Kulhad' and the taste was really different. 'Kulhad' saves the environment and lakhs of people get employment from it, he said. The minister was speaking at an event to mark the inauguration of the newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section under north-western Railways.

The minister said before the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, the railway sector was ignored in Rajasthan as electrification had not been taken up in the last 30 years after the electrification of Delhi-Mumbai route. He said the investment by Railways and infrastructure development projects in Rajasthan have increased multiple times between 2014-2020 as compared to that between 2009-2014.