Indian Railways big step towards sustainable cleanliness! In a firm development under the ‘Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat’ campaign, Piyush Goyal-led Railway Ministry has completed the successful installation of bio-toilets in 95 per cent trains across the Indian Railways network. VK Yadav, Chairman, Railway Board, has said that in the next three months, bio-toilets will be installed in all train coaches across the network. In the recent survey announcement of top 10 cleanest railway stations in India, the Chairman said that over the last five years, hygiene and passenger services have improved tremendously under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
The recent feat of installation of bio-toilets across several train coaches has been a part of the Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat campaign. Bio-toilets are decomposition mechanized toilets which decompose human excreta waste into organic matter through the biological process of composting. Hence, the mechanism of bio-toilets help in the sustainable management of solid waste. The Railway Board Chairman stated that of the 70,000 train coaches across the Indian Railways, only 2,300 train coaches are left for installation of bio-toilets installed in them. In the next three months, the remaining coaches will be equipped with bio toilets in train coaches.
Indian Railways has also developed a new technology, in collaboration with the RDSO (Research Design and Standard Organisation) – the bio-cum-vacuum toilets. Soon, train coaches will be equipped with new bio-vacuum toilets. Vacuum toilets allow for almost negligible water to be used in the act of flushing, while maintaining hygiene and cleanliness
Indian Railways has also observed a nationwide ban of single-use plastic across its network. Additionally, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Railway Ministry has taken some strict measures to ban single-use plastic, which are to be followed by all the zones of the network. In this regard, plastic bottle crushing machines have been installed across railways stations and all railway vendors, staff have been encouraged to avoid the use of plastic carry bags. The usage of inexpensive reusable bags is being promoted to reduce the plastic footprint.