Lok Sabha Question No. 2834 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-11
Subject: Sanitation at Railway Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Navneet Ravi Rana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2834 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2020

## SANITATION AT RAILWAY STATIONS

## 2834. SHRIMATI NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Railways  are  aware  that  the  sanitation  system  at railway stations and railway coaches in semiurban and rural areas of  Maharashtra is improper and inadequate and if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor;
- (b) whether  the  Railways  has  any  concrete  plan  to  strengthen  the current system to improve the cleanliness and maintenance of rail coaches up to accepted standards;
- (c) whether the Government is conducting regular checks regarding cleanliness by the officers/supervisors at regular intervals and  if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the corrective steps taken or proposed to be taken to improve the sanitation system at the railway stations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

## (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) Cleanliness at railway stations and railway coaches is a continuous process and every endeavour is made to keep the railway stations and trains including in semiurban and rural areas of Maharashtra in properly maintained and clean condition.  Toilets have been provided at various railway stations of Indian railways, including Maharashtra area, as per norms for provision of passenger amenities. To meet the special needs of divyangjan, disable friendly toilets have

been provided at around 3850 stations under different zonal railways. Pay  and  use  toilets  have  been  provided  at  883  stations  and  77 stations  have  Deluxe  Pay  and  Use  toilets  on  Indian  Railways.    This information is not maintained state wise.

Some of the measures taken by Indian Railways towards improvement of cleanliness over railways and maintenance of rail coaches are as detailed in part (b) to (d) below.

- (b)  to  (d)  Indian  railways  have  been  consistently  making  efforts  to improve cleanliness and maintenance of trains and stations. Towards this  objective  a  third  party  audit  cum  survey  on  cleanliness  of important stations is being carried out annually to get feedback and also to instil healthy competition for improvement. Similar audit cum survey has been taken up for trains from 2018. Continued efforts being undertaken are enumerated below:-
- I. Indian  Railways  has  proliferated  2,40,000  bio-toilets    in  around 67,000  coaches  to  avoid  discharge  of  human  waste  on  to  the track.
- II. Mechanised Cleaning of coaches is done at both ends.
- 17  Automatic  Coach  Washing  Plants  have  been  installed  to improve quality of external washing of coaches and conservation
- III. of water.
- IV. On  Board  Housekeeping  Service  (OBHS)  has  been  provided  in nearly 1100 pairs of important long distance Mail/Express trains.
- V. 'Coach Mitra' service has been provided in around 1060 pairs of OBHS  trains  as  a  single  window  interface  to  register  coach related requirements of passengers such as cleaning,

disinfestation, linen, train lighting, air conditioning and watering

- of coaches.
- VI. 39 Clean Train Station (CTS) are operational for limited mechanized cleaning attention to identified trains.
- VII. Pest  and  rodent  control  of  coaches  is  being  done  on  a  regular basis through authorised professional agencies.
- VIII.
- Dustbins are provided in AC and non-AC Coaches.
- IX. 66 Mechanised laundries have been set up to provide clean and hygienic bedrolls.
- X. Standard Bid Document (SBD) and General Conditions of Contract  for  Services  (GCCS)  have  been  issued  to  improve effectiveness of housekeeping / cleaning contracts.
- XI. Systems  are  in  place  in  order  to  ensure  accepted  standards through periodic stipulated maintenance schedules during which required attention are given to coaches.
- XII. Regular checks/surprise checks on cleanliness are conducted at officers/supervisors levels and corrective action taken wherever any deficiency is noticed.
- XIII. Introduction  of  integrated  mechanized  cleaning  contracts  at around  950  stations  to  ensure  regular  cleaning  of  platform, waiting  rooms,  waiting  halls,  entrance  foyer,  circulating  area, foot over bridge, toilets, cleaning of platform lines etc.
- XIV. 1310  rag  picking  contracts  and/or  garbage  disposal  contracts are available at stations.
- XV. Toilets have been provided at various railway stations, including Pay and use toilets at 883 stations, Deluxe Pay and Use toilets at  77  stations  and  disable  friendly  toilets  at  around  3850 stations.
- XVI. To  ensure  proper  collection  of  solid/  plastic  waste  and  biodegradable  waste,  twin  dustbins  with  clear  identification  have been provided at about 1000 stations.
- XVII. Instructions  have  been  issued  for  eradication  of  single  use plastic (plastic less than 50 micron thickness) in terms of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
- XVIII. 315 plastic bottle crushing machines have been installed at 229 stations.
- XIX. Intensive  monitoring  of  cleanliness  through  CCTV  cameras  at more than 700 stations is in position.
- XX. Indian Railways (Prevention of activities affecting cleanliness in Railway Premises) Rules, 2012 has been intensified.

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