After the Delhi High court order in July 2011 ordering Indian Railways to install bio-toilets in all long-distance trains, the operator has fast-tracked the work and Indore-Nizamuddin Inter-City Express has become the first train to have bio-toilets.
Neeraj Sharma, CPRO, Northern Railway said:
“One rake of the train, fitted with bio-toilets in all its coaches, was pressed into service from April 13. Around 3,000 toilets in around 750 coaches are likely to be installed in different trains during the current financial year.”
With this move Indian Railways will do away with ‘manual scavenging and prevent the corrosion of rail tracks due to open discharge’.
The bio-toilets have been designed by the Indian Railways in collaboration with the Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE) and will require the least maintenance and the anaerobic bacteria are fed into the tank over a period of time.
A railway official said: “The new toilet will have a collection tank provided with anaerobic bacteria to decompose faecal matter completely and only a colourless, odour-less benign liquid that does not pollute the environment shall be released.”
Railways will have to invest $200 million on installing bio-toilets and this has also featured in the recent 2012-13 rail budget. This will be manufacture at Kapurthala coach factory and will be fitted on long distance trains.
The Court said the Railways to install the bio-toilets as fast as they can and fixed September 21 as next date of hearing.
