Indian Railways to Get Airplane-Like Toilets! 500 Vacuum Bio-Toilets Ordered, to Cost More Than a Lakh Each
There is a plan to install bio-toilets in around 18,750 more coaches by March 2019, when all the coaches of the Indian Railways will be fitted with such toilets, costing the national transporter around Rs 250 crore.
New Delhi, June 17: Indian Railways is now planning to replace all the bio-toilets with upgraded vacuum bio-toilets like the ones in aeroplanes. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said the thought of replacing the bio-toilets with the upgraded version was to compete with the airlines. He said this was one of the plans the national transporter had for upgrading its amenities.
The vacuum toilets, which cost around Rs 2.5 lakh per unit, will be odour-free, will cut down water usage by 1/20th and have much lesser chances of getting blocked. According to railway ministry officials, 1,36,965 bio-toilets have been fitted in 37,411 coaches, at a cost of around Rs 1 lakh per toilet as of May 31. "We have started experimenting with vacuum bio-toilets like those in an aeroplane. Some 500-vacuum bio-toilets have been ordered and once the experiment is successful, I am willing to spend money to replace all the 2.5 lakh toilets in the trains with vacuum bio-toilets," Goyal said in an interview with PTI.
There is a plan to install bio-toilets in around 18,750 more coaches by March 2019, when all the coaches of the Indian Railways will be fitted with such toilets, costing the national transporter around Rs 250 crore.
Lauding the Civil Aviation Ministry's regional connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), as a great achievement for the country, Goyal said the competition was good for the railways. "As the Prime Minister says, now a person in Hawai chappals can also afford to fly. It is a matter of great pride for this government that we are empowering the poorest of the poor. I also believe that it is great for the railways.
Goyal informed that by March 2019, India will be 100 per cent on bio-toilets, which in itself is a big achievement. The Minister said that the tracks will be cleaner, the smell will go away and rail renewal will be reduced.“As responsible public servants, it is our duty to give full satisfaction to the customers," he added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2018 04:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).