Lok Sabha Question No. 843 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-07
Subject: Bio-Toilets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Richard Hay, PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA, George Baker, MAHEISH GIRRI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 843 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2018

## BIO-TOILETS

843.  PROF. RICHARD HAY:

SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA:

SHRI GEORGE BAKER:

SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the number of trains in which bio-toilets have been introduced  so  far  across  the  country,  State/UT-wise  including Kerala  and  Gujarat  alongwith  the  details  of  the  funds  sanctioned, allocated and utilised for this;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to introduce this facility in all trains and if so, the details thereof along with the targets set in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has received any complaints regarding foul smell and  choking of bio-toilets in trains;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken to deal with this situation; and
- (e) whether the Railways intends to outsource the work of cleaning of trains and stations to enhance the level of cleanliness, if so, the details of the same and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) Approximately 55% of the total passenger carrying coaches over Indian Railways have been installed with bio-toilets.  The  details  of

trains  are  not  maintained  State/UT-wise.  However,  the  zone-wise details  of  some  of  the  trains  having  coaches  equipped  with  biotoilets are appended.

For retro-fitment of environment friendly green toilets/bio-toilets in existing in-service coaches in Zonal Railways, ` 3764.6 Crores have been  sanctioned  with  an  allocation  of ` 608  Crores  for  the  year 2017-18.  Expenditure  of ` 539  Crores  approximately  has  been booked  by  Zonal  Railways  on  bio-toilets  till  November  2017.  In addition,  expenditure  of ` 406  Crores  approximately  have  been made by coach Production Units of Indian Railways for installation of bio-toilets in newly manufactured coaches so far.

- (b)  Yes,  Madam.  Indian  Railways  have  set  in-house  target  to complete  the  work  of  installation  of  bio-toilets  in  all  coaches  by March 2019.
- (c) & (d) Yes, Madam. Indian Railways have received the complaints regarding foul smell and choking of bio-toilets in trains. Generally, the problems of choking and foul smell in coach lavatories are due to  use  of  toilet  pan  as  garbage  bins,  inadequate  water  flow  in flushing  and  inadequate  ventilation.  Individual  dust  bins  in  each coach lavatory have been made mandatory to enable the passengers to use dustbins, thus preventing the toilet pans/bowls from being dumped with inorganic waste. Improvement to flushing system and ventilation are also underway to eliminate foul smell.
- (e) Railways have taken various measures for improving cleanliness of stations and trains.

With increase in passenger services, Railways do not have adequate  staff  for  cleaning  of  all  the  trains  and  stations.  Where adequate  departmental  staff  is  not  available,  Railways  engage professional housekeeping agencies through outsourcing for cleaning of coaches of trains and stations with aim to provide clean and hygienic environment to passengers.

For improving upon the standards of cleanliness in trains, schemes like 'Mechanized cleaning of coaches' in maintenance depots, 'On Board Housekeeping Services (OBHS)' for cleaning of coaches on run in important mail/express trains, 'Clean My Coach' service on demand in OBHS trains, and cleaning attention to trains during their stoppage  at  'Clean  Train  Stations'  enroute  have  been  provided. These schemes are mostly outsourced.

Integrated housekeeping contracts are provided at major stations.

*****

APPENDIX REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 843 BY PROF. RICHARD HAY, SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA, SHRI GEORGE BAKER AND SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI, TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 07.02.2018 REGARDING BIO-TOILETS:

(a):  Zone-wise  details  of  some  of  the  trains  having  coaches equipped with bio-toilets:

| Zonal Railways   | Trains                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central          | 22135/36 Nagpur-Rewa Superfast Express, 22119/20 Mumbai CSTM-Karmali Tejas Express, 12131/32 Dadar-Sai Nagar Shirdi Express.              |
| East Coast       | 18401/02 Puri-Okha Express, 18496/95 Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram Express, 12898/97 Bhubaneswar-Pondicherry Express.                            |
| East Central     | 55575/76 Darbhanga-Biraul Passenger, 13241/42 Banka-Rajendra Nagar Intercity Express, 12355/56 Rajendra Nagar-Jammu Tawi Archana Express. |
| Eastern          | 12343/44 Darjeeling Mail, 12377/78 Padatik Express, 12345/46 Saraighat Express.                                                           |
| North Central    | 22431/32 Allahabad-Udhampur Express, 12417/18 Prayagraj Express, 11107/08 Bundelkhand Express.                                            |

| Zonal Railways     | Trains                                                                                                                                                  |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| North Eastern      | 15045/46 Gorakhpur-Okha Express, 15119/20 Manduadih-Rameswaram Express, 12595/96 Gorakhpur-Anand Vihar Terminal Hamsafar Express.                       |
| Northeast Frontier | 15635/36 Okha-Guwahati Express, 15647/48 Lokmanya Tilak (T)-Guwahati Express, 15717/18 Guwahati-Mariani Intercity Express.                              |
| Northern           | 14611/12 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Ghazipur City Express, 14609/10 Hemkunt Express , 12471/72 Swaraj Express.                                        |
| North Western      | 22497/98 Shri Ganganagar-Tiruchchirappalli Humsafar Express, 14889/90 Bhagat Ki Kothi-Munabao Thar Express, 14811/12 Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Sikar Express. |
| South Central      | 12757/58 Secunderabad-Sirpur Kaghaznagar Express, 17019/20 Hyderabad-Jaipur Express, 12721/22 Hyderabad-Nizamuddin Dakshin Express.                     |
| South East Central | 18241/42 Durg-Ambikapur Express, 18247/48 Bilaspur-Rewa Express, 58219/20 Bilaspur-Chirmiri Express.                                                    |

<!-- image -->

| Zonal Railways   | Trains                                                                                                                                                |
|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| South Eastern    | 18007/08 Shalimar-Vanjapur Intercity Express, 22877/78 Howrah-Ernakulam Antyodaya Express, 22887/88 Howrah-Yesvantpur Humsafar Express.               |
| Southern         | 12635/36 Chennai Egmore-Madurai Vaigai Express, 12605/06 Chennai Egmore-Karaikudi Pallavan Express, 22661/62 Chennai Egmore-Rameswaram Sethu Express. |
| South Western    | 16589/90 Rani Channamma Express, 12627/28 Karnataka Express, 16501/02 Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur Express.                                                   |
| West Central     | 12121/22 Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express, 11449/50 Jabalpur-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Express, 12193/94 Jabalpur-Yesvantpur Express.         |
| Western          | 22969/70 Okha-Varanasi Express, 19573/74 Okha-Jaipur Express, 19565/66 Okha-Dehradun Uttaranchal Express.                                             |

****