In an Attempt to become a Plastic Free India, the plastic cups are getting swapped for the Earthen Brown Kulhads, which have the spectacular fragrance of Mother Earth.
The Central Railway said that tea would now be served in clay cups, as announced by the ministry of railways, at all its divisions and railway stations in Mumbai." Currently, tea in kulhad is available at stations like Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Dadar, Than, Kalyan, Panvel, Igatpuri, Karjat and Lonavala on Mumbai division," Central Railway chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said. Around 7000 Train Stations in India will swap plastic cups for Kulhads in an effort to reduce plastic. This decision had been taken in the wake of mass unemployment which has been happening in the pottery industry and is sure to provide a greater impetus.
In 2004,Kulhads were introduced by the then Railway minister Lalu Prasad, but they got replaced due to higher cost of kulhads. Phasing single use plastics is an idea which has been implemented in various states by our Government and the Urban Road Transport and MSME ministry revived the idea of using kulhads and also to make them mandatory at airports and tea stalls.
Two weeks ago, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that tea will now be sold in eco-friendly kulhads across all railway stations in India as part of railways' contribution towards plastic-free India.