Indian Railways installs bio toilets in more than 68,000 coaches

Indian Railways succeeded in installing bio-toilets in more than 68,000 passenger coaches so far thus preventing discharge of human waste on tracks.

Total 68, 690 coaches fitted with bio-toilets. The process of installing bio-toilets is the remaining 400 coaches is on and is likely to complete in a month period, said the official.

The bio-toilets prevent direct discharge of human waste on track and will ensure not only a clean environment but also helps keep coaches clean and improvement in maintenance of track said an official from the railways.

Now the national transporter is embarking on converting bio-toilets into bio-vacuum toilets in coaches to save water.

The railways have developed a new technology for bio-vacuum, in collaboration with the research arm of the Railway Ministry, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).

Already around 15 trains including a few Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Humsafar trains and Vande Bharat Express, are fitted with bio-vacuum toilets.

All new coaches, which are being produced, will have bio-vacuum toilets, said an official from railways.

Bio-vacuum toilets save a lot of water. These toilets have a suction pump that reduces the requirement of water. Most vacuum systems flush with just half a gallon (2 litre) of fluid or less compared to bio-toilets, which require up to 15 litres per flush.

The vacuum-bio toilets, as a step further to a provide-odour free and choke-free facility to passengers, said the official.

The bio-toilets, which replaced open toilets in trains, have been prone to clogging due to dumping of waste such as bottles, pouches, plastic cups, paper and other materials in the pans— resulting in the foul smell.

The Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) in a report in December 2017 had found that almost two-lakh complaints regarding choking, smelly and non-functional bio-toilets in trains from the public.