Indian Railways failed to keep stations catering to pilgrimage centres free from human discharge: CAG

Through its audits and inspections, the CAG report has brought out that of the 14 pairs of trains touching the Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station, only three were equipped with bio-toilets, nine were partially equipped with bio-toilets, while three did not have these toilets at all. “Sri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, thus, did not fulfill the criteria for Green Train Station,” the audit report says.

While inspecting Jammu mail in Katra, it was found that bio-toilets had been fitted in only six out of its 23 coaches. Nine toilets were found to be choked while foul smell was emanating from 14 bio-toilets.

Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, was supposed to be part of a Green Corridor of 264 kilometers. That, too, did not happen, even though Railways has declared the station “green” or discharge-free.

Railway Board proposed to extend Rameswaram to Manamadurai Green corridor up to Tiruchchirappalli covering a total distance of 264 km so all the trains passing through Tiruchchirappalli-Manamadurai section should have had coaches fitted with bio-toilets. However, not all originating and terminating trains at Rameswaram Station were those equipped with 100 per cent bio-toilets despite the station having been declared as a Green

Train Station. Upon inspection it was found that one coach of the Chennai Egmore- Rameswaram Express had conventional toilet. “Human waste was found on the cement concrete apron at the station,” the report mentions.

For Porbandar, 11 bio-toilets in Delhi Sarairohila-Porbandar Express inspected at Porbandar were found in poor condition. Six bio-toilets in Delhi Sarai Rohila-Porbandar Express inspected at Porbandar were found choked. In Delhi Sarairohila-Porbandar Express dustbins were not available in 34 bio-toilets, indicating that passengers could plunk non-biodegradable waste material in the bio-toilets to choke them.

At Porbandar station, the Porbandar-Mumbai Central, Saurashtra Express was found being run only with conventional toilets. “Further, several bio-toilets in trains remained in bypassed position without being set right for repeated trips on the Green Corridor.”

Similar trend was noticed in trains touching stations like Mysuru in karnataka and Okha in Gujarat.

In their reply to the CAG audit, Railways has said that the zonal railways were working on the plan. “…sometimes due to operational constraints, coaches with conventional toilets are attached in replacement of coaches with bio-toilets marked sick, as per the availability of rolling stock in the concerned Coaching Depot at that time,” Railways has told CAG.

The audit report was for the years 2014-15 to 2016-17. It noted that almost two lakh complaints choking, foul smelling and non-functional bio-toilets in trains were received from the passengers in 2016-2017 alone. The report also noted that Railways is lagging behind in its target of fitting bio-toilets in all its coaches.