Lucknow, Aug 28 (IANS): Railway authorities in Lucknow seem to have gone bananas over cleanliness. Believing that banana peels spread filth, authorities have banned the sale of the fruit at the Charbagh Railway Station.

Authorities have also warned that anyone found breaching the ban will face strict action, including penalty.

The move hasn't gone down well with the vendors and travellers.

"I have not sold bananas for the last 5 to 6 days. The administration has banned its sale. Earlier, poor people use to buy bananas as most other fruits are expensive," said a vendor at Charbagh station.

"Bananas are the cheapest, healthiest and safest fruit that one can consume while travelling. It is absurd to say that bananas create filth. If that is true then one should ban toilets also because the maximum filth is generated there. Water bottles and packed snacks should also be banned," said Arvind Nagar, who commutes daily by train between Lucknow and Kanpur.

He said that banana peels are organic and harmless for the environment, besides being a cheap source of nutrition for the poor.