Action Plan To Clean-Up Mumbai's Iconic CST

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) is one of the most majestic and iconic buildings in India. It was designed by British architect F W Stevens and was named after the Empress of India, Queen Victoria. It is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture which has been blended with concepts from traditional Indian architecture.

It has been in continuous use since it was made open to the public in the year 1888.

When Bombay was rechristened as Mumbai, Victoria Terminus was re-named after the great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji and the building earned a world heritage tag from UNESCO in 2004.

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While railway tracks are cleaned, bleached and sprayed with mosquito repellents, the tracks are littered with human excreta. Rodents scurry freely which increases risks of multiple diseases. Moreover, the stench from toilets is overpowering and needs an urgent overhaul.

“We are trying our best to keep the tracks clean. But with the number of trains it becomes difficult to find a gap. However, we plan to fit all trains with bio toilets and once that is done it will destroy all human waste,” says Sudhir Kumar Ganngele, CST’s Chief Health Officer.

Since the aim is to make CST more attractive for tourists, responsibility has been given to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to keep it clean. It is a stupendous task requiring lakhs of people who work or live around the CST. BMC officials also have teams who work in three shifts and clean a radius of 500 meters around the CST. Marshals have been appointed to fine those who litter, which is the biggest problem for the civic body.