Reliable, fashionably late, ridden with nostalgia, watery dal, piping hot yet runny yet tasty matka chai, unbelievably enormous; this about sums up the Indian Railways. As the nation continues its fight against the COVID-19 crisis amid a lockdown, the IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation), the subsidiary of Indian Railways that handles food and ticketing, has wowed the world with its humanitarian service.
From manufacturing masks, PPEs and sanitisers on an industrial scale, to providing over 20,000 meals to the needy each day, to encouraging employees to personally stitch face-masks, the IRCTC has left no holds barred. And then there are the humorous tweets that are shared from its handle occasionally!
Here's a glimpse, in pictures, from across the country.
Every day, anywhere between 15-20 tons of food is being prepared and distributed to migrants and the needy across the country by the IRCTC. The exercise started on 30 March, and is spread across 28 locations, with the main kitchens based in Khurda Road and Visakhapatnam.
According to the Deccan Herald, the menu is different for different regions of the country. From lemon rice in the south to khichdi-chokha in the east and kadi chawal in the north, IRCTC is serving a variety of meals keeping in mind the local taste buds of the people since the lockdown was announced.
In a bid to bridge the shortage of sanitisers owing to the sudden rush of demand since February, the IRCTC began manufacturing them across all zones and production units. Over 25,000 litres of sanitiser has been produced so far.
2.6 lakh masks have been sown and distribute by the IRCTC thus far across the country. A substantial number of these masks have been made at home by railway employees, who have taken to stitching.
According to a report in the Deccan Herald, the country’s medical fraternity and other workers will require some 1.5 crore coveralls by June. The IRCTC has set up 17 workshops that will produce up to a 1,000 PPE suits each day. These will be delivered not just to healthcare professionals, but to other field workers as well.
This is one of many adverts that the IRCTC has been posting on their twitter page. The organisation isn't short of humour - a much needed ingredient - at a time when all of twitter is gripped by paranoia.