HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 14: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has taken a major step towards environmental sustainability by partnering with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati to introduce biodegradable and compostable materials as an alternative to conventional plastic, according to an official statement.
Under the leadership of NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava and IIT Guwahati Professor Vimal Katiyar, the initiative will see the use of eco-friendly green bed-roll bags in place of the traditional plastic bags used for distributing linen to passengers.
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The biodegradable bio-plastic, developed at IIT Guwahati’s in-house Research and Development facility, complies with ISO 17088 standards and is designed to degrade in compost within a short period.
The pilot project will be formally launched on August 15, 2025, coinciding with the celebration of India’s 79th Independence Day.
Around 40,000 biodegradable bags will be distributed across 25 trains originating from terminals in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The NFR, the statement said, has consistently been at the forefront of adopting green initiatives in its operations.
Its ongoing measures include rapid railway electrification, solar energy generation, AI-based intrusion detection systems to protect elephants, rainwater harvesting, quick watering systems, automatic coach washing plants, bio-toilets, mechanised cleaning, composting of solid waste, afforestation, and the transformation of wastelands into green zones.
The statement further highlighted the role of the inoculum generation plant at Kamakhya in recycling biodegradable waste, enabling the reprocessing of used bed-roll bags into new ones.
This process significantly reduces plastic pollution and supports a circular economy in railway operations.
Officials noted that the collaboration with IIT Guwahati represents a scalable model for greener railway practices, combining passenger convenience with environmental responsibility.
By reducing landfill waste, lowering its carbon footprint, and conserving natural resources, NFR aims to set a benchmark in sustainable railway operations while serving the needs of communities across the region.
