Kulhars replacing plastic glasses and cups has, in any case, been a much discussed subject and was very much a part of the old Socialist Party agenda. In any case, these homely clay containers were being used in many parts of the country until quite recently and can even today be spotted in many a station. Madhu Dandavate, when he was the railway minister in 1977, had tried to promote them at the behest of George Fernandes and others, but the move had somehow failed.

The cost factor is one of the most compelling arguments for going green in railway catering. The cost of good quality aluminum foil is about Rs 50 for eight metres -- 200 pattals (plates made of leaves) can be bought with that price.Similarly, the cost of a good quality plastic glass is about 70 rupees for a hundred glasses while kulhars are considerably cheaper.

It was in the late '80s that the plastic wave first began. Steel thalis slowly gave way to aluminum foil, while plastic glasses and spoons began to replace kulhars and steel spoons. Later, mineral water bottles began to flood the scene. According to estimates by activist groups, aluminum foil, thermocol packaging, plastic glasses, mineral water bottles and plastic carry bags constitute 95 per cent of non-biodegradable waste at stations. Every day, some 75 kg of waste per station accumulate, most of which is non-biodegradable.

Some of this waste are valuable inputs in a thriving recyling industry. Recent investigations by The Indian Express revealed that about 2,000 empty mineral water bottles are picked up from rail compartments and tracks in New Delhi Railway Station, and are then refilled with water from a municipal tap or handpump and sold to gulliblepassengers. The disastrous consequences for such activity can well be imagined. This is not all. Even the used cups and aluminum foil used by passengers are being cleaned and food items being sold in them. Certainly, the use of kulhars and pattals could help eliminate such practices, but critics of the move dub it as one primarily dictated by the Samata Party to which Nitish Kumar belongs. After all, the party manifesto had stated in unequivocal terms that ``special protection will be given to small-scale and tiny industries which generate large-scale employment''.

General Secretary of the party, Jaya Jetly, defends the move: ``Using kulhars and pattals are not only eco-friendly but will also generate employment in many parts of the country as they are being made in the unorganised sector. We had suggested the setting up of cooperatives earlier and they can be used as a viable means to make the scheme more effective even now.''

According to her, there are a number of pottersfor whom the scheme will provide a great source of livelihood. ``Even if one crore people travel in trains every day it will provide livelihood to one lakh people,''she says. ``We talk about fighting pollution, pollution doesn't only happen in the air, it is on the ground as well, every day thousands of non-biodegradable plastic bottles are used by passengers and thrown away. So why can't be switch to a cheaper and more eco-friendly alternative?''

Iqbal Malik, director of the Delhi-based Vaatavaran, agrees: ``The use of pattals and kulhars are not only eco-friendly but are cost effective as well. It's something that we have long argued for and must be implemented forthwith.''

But this is easier said than done. Although the Railways have already started serving yoghurt on the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains in khulkars, a great deal more requires to be done. For one, officials in the ministry haven't digested the idea too well.

They point out that at present barely 2 per centof the total catering in the Railways is being looked after by its own administrators and that this makes it difficult to implement the scheme. However, its votaries of the scheme argue that once the Railways issues the necessary guidelines, no private contractor can defy them.

Officials also argue that the existing system is much more convenient and attuned to international lifestyles. Argues one bureaucrat: ``On the one hand, we were acquiring high-speed engines and redoing our coaches, on the other, we are being told to rely on archaic means of catering.''

Another mandarin at Rail Bhavan explains that such decisions cannot be implemented in a day and will take time. ``Our catering department is trying to formulate a plan and we'll also seek views about its viability from various railway zones,'' he says. What could derail the proposal is consumer resistance as sources in the Railway ministry point out. ``

There might be some protests from the passengers since as they are no longer accustomed tokulhars and pattals now. Gone are the days when such implements were used. Certainly, no one in a luxury train would like to use them,'' argues an official.

There is also the problem of quality control. Officials say that since kulhars cannot be standardised there will be complaints about their quality too. Jaitly tends to disagree. ``I don't what their problem is. Why do Indian bureaucrats think that they are still English babus? Why can't we accept these means and improvise on them to make them effective?'' she asks.

But officials insist they cannot take chances with something as important as railway catering.

The battle-lines are clear. At one end is the increasingly vocal green brigade who has plans to replace soft-drinks sold at stations with fresh juices bottled by farmers' co-operatives, at the other, are the Rail Bhavan babus who are loath to play around with something as important as railway catering. Only the future will reveal which of the two groups gets the greensignal.