Bhagalpur: From a diesel locomotive and Lord Ganesh to an elephant and the railways mascot Bholu, discarded railway materials are being turned into art installations at different locations under the Malda Railway Division (MRD) of Eastern Railway. The initiative aims to promote creative reuse of waste while improving cleanliness and raising awareness about sustainable resource use.The division has undertaken the ‘scrap to art’ initiative as part of ‘Swachhata Hi Seva – 2026’, in line with the cleanliness campaigns of railways and the Union govt.The initiative began at Jamalpur loco shed in Munger district, where installations depicting Lord Ganesh, a diesel locomotive engine and other artefacts were created using discarded railway materials. Developed through in-house efforts, the installations seek to demonstrate how scrap can be reused creatively instead of being discarded.At Bhagalpur coaching depot, the Millwright Batch, a team comprising technical hands and artist, created an installation depicting ‘Bholu – The Guard’, the railways mascot, using discarded railway materials.In Malda, a ‘scrap to art’ creation was displayed at Malda Ecological Park near Malda Town Railway Station. Another artefact depicting a cannon was placed at Vikramshila Academic Block, while elephant sculptures were displayed at the IGOT-cum-CBT Centre at the Multi-Disciplinary Divisional Training Institute (MDDTI).The division plans to extend the initiative to other major railway premises under its jurisdiction, promoting the concept of ‘waste to wealth’ through resource optimisation and environmental responsibility.Manish Kumar Gupta, divisional railway manager (DRM) of MRD, said the initiative offers several benefits, including keeping railway premises clean, disposing of waste and building creativity among railway employees through the creation of artefacts.Railway sources said the division was also considering organising a ‘scrap to art’ competition for railway employees and stakeholders.