SCR to provide 200 more Bio-toilets on important trains

SCR to provide 200 more Bio-toilets on important trains

The South Central Railway (SCR) plans to procure 200 more eco-friendly bio-toilets to provide the facility on more trains soon.

The decision was taken after successful trial of 48 bio-toilets fitted to the 17 coaches on Hyderabad-Mumbai Hussain Sagar Express and Kacheguda-Bangalore Express.

Bio-toilets were developed jointly by Railway Research and Standard Organisation (RDSO) and Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE) for use in Indian railways and are currently under trial in many of the zonal railways.

SCR chief public relations officer K Sambasiva Rao said in a release here on Friday that the SCR took a lead in the trial and provided the facility in two trains.

The conventional toilets in the trains, by allowing human waste to fall on the tracks, cause unhygienic conditions and corrosion to track and coach fittings endangering the safety. Passengers use toilets while trains are at platforms and the track get scattered with human excreta creating unpleasant situation for passengers on the platforms.

Maintaining cleanliness at railway stations, especially tracks is found to be a challenging task for the railways in the face of ban on the use of Safaiwalas. Track maintenance staff also have to face difficult situations while on duty. But, with the advent of bio-toilet, railways has found an answer to this vexatious problem.

With simple design, less maintenance and easier RETRO fitment on existing coaches, the environment-friendly bio-toilet will ensure zero discharge of night soil on the ground.

Sambasiva Rao said that bio-toilets are not only environment-friendly but will also contribute to preventing damage to tracks and coach fittings and improving the aesthetics of railway stations.

The bio-toilet, which has six compartments, uses inoculums (bacteria) to decompose the waste. The waste from commode enters the bio-tank, (where the inoculums are stored), gets decomposed by the bacteria and then goes into a chlorine tank. The output will be just water and gas.

Bio-toilets with a provision to replenish inoculums and chlorine will be easy to maintain. But the passengers should not dump plastic bottles, carry bags, cups, napkins  in bio-toilets as they get chocked,

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