New Delhi, December 28: The railways has installed more than 1.6 lakh bio-toilets in around 45,000 train coaches, Parliament was informed Friday. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said so far more than 1,67,000 bio-toilets have been installed in about 45,800 passenger carrying coaches and around 14,500 more coaches are to be provided with bio-toilets.

"Presently, the cost of providing four bio-toilets on a coach is Rs 4.56 lakh approximately that is Rs 1.14 lakh per toilet. Zone-wise detail of expenditure booked for installation of bio-toilets in passenger coaches up to March 2018 is appended and in the current Financial Year 2018-19, approximately Rs 256 crore has been spent by Zonal Railways for installation of bio-toilets," he said. Railways to Try Japanese Technology in Bio-toilets at Stations.

In addition, about Rs 506 crore has been spent by coach production units of the railways for installation of bio-toilets in newly manufactured coaches, he said.