Bio-vacuum toilets in all trains on the cards say Railways
DH
Bengaluru, 08 Oct: Indian Railways is working towards installing in all trains bio-vacuum toilets, similar to what are operational in aircraft.
The railways has developed a new technology for bio-vacuum, in collaboration with the research arm of the Railway Ministry, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).
“In the coming days, all coaches will be fitted with the new bio-vacuum toilets, which will work like a vacuum toilet,” Rajesh Agrawal, Railway Board Member, (Rolling Stock), told DH.
Already around 15 trains including a few Rajdhani, Shatabhdi, Humsuffer trains and Vande Bharat Express, are fitted with bio-vacuum toilets.
All new coaches, which are being produced, will have bio-vacuum toilets, he said.
The 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 litre per flush.
“This will help contain the foul smell as well as reduce the use of water,” he said.
Chock-free facility
The Railways, which so far has fitted 95% of its coaches with bio-toilets, will install vacuum-bio toilets, as a step further to provide-odour free and choke-free facility to passengers, he said.
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 foul smell.
The Comptroller and Auditor General in a report in December 2017 had found that almost two-lakh complaints regarding choking, smelly and non-functional bio-toilets in trains from public in 2016-17.