Railways swap paper cups for kulhad at 12 WR stations, but vendors cry foul

In a move aimed at cutting down plastic and paper waste, the Indian Railways has decided to bring back the humble kulhad—the eco-friendly, disposable clay cup—at select stations on the Western Railway (WR) network.

- Shashank Rao

But while the decision is rooted in sustainability, it has left many food stall owners steaming.

The Railway Board recently issued fresh instructions making it mandatory for tea and buttermilk to be served in kulhads instead of paper cups at 12 stations on WR’s suburban and mainline routes. These include key stations like Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Mumbai Central, Palghar and Dahanu Road, along with Bilimora, Valsad, Vapi, Navsari, Surat and Nandurbar.

“Food and juice stalls on platforms and concourses have been informed about the change,” confirmed a WR official. As per the new norms, tea must be served in 170 ml kulhads, and buttermilk in 220 ml ones.

A throwback to Lalu's kulhad pitch