Bio-Toilets: Railways to Set Up Three Bacteria Plants

Railways will set up three bacteria generation plants as part of its effort to equip more coaches with bio-toilets in trains for eco-friendly waste disposal.

Railways have set a target of installing bio-toilets designed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) in 2,500 coaches in the current fiscal.

Bacteria plants will be set up in Kapurthala, Chennai and Nagpur as there is a huge requirement for anaerobic bacteria for an increasing number of coaches with bio-toilets, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the bio-toilet project.

“Currently we are procuring bacteria from DRDO but we have to generate on our own to meet the requirement for all coaches,” he said.

Bio-toilets are being fitted in all new LHB (Linke Holfmann Busch) coaches manufactured in Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala and conventional coaches will also be equipped with these toilets in a phased manner, he said.

In bio-toilets, anaerobic bacteria converts human waste into water and gases (methane and carbon dioxide).

Currently bio-toilets have been provided on trial basis in Gwalior-Varanasi Bundelkhand Express, Jammu Tawai-Indore Malwa Express, Chennai-Guwahati Egmore Express, Nizamuddin-Indore Intercity Express, Indore-Gwalior Express, Mumbai-Varanasi Mahanagri Express, Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express and Kochuveli-Bangalore Express.

The first train to be fitted with bio-toilets was Gwalior-Varanasi Bundelkhand Express in January last year. The latest train to be equipped with these new toilets is Kochuveli-Bangalore Express. Field trials on these trains are successful, the official said.

The problem of environmental degradation and corrosion of tracks has been a cause of concern for the Railways. Corrosion costs Railways more than Rs 3,500 million every year.

Railways have set up a core committee which is working out details to undertake fitting bio-toilets in about 50,000 coaches of the national transporter. (PTI)

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Green toilets in trains on anvil

To tackle the issue of environmental degradation and corrosion of tracks due to toilet waste seeping on the lines, the railways plan to install Green Toilets in trains. Work began on the project some time back and a number of coaches are ready with the department, at their respective manufacturing units.

A major reason for the interest in the project is that the railways could save up to Rs. 350 crore every year that it spends on waste decomposition from the tracks.

This year’s railway budget mentioned that Kakodkar and Pitroda Committees, formed to recommend measures for modernization of railways, suggested that there was an urgent need to replace open-discharge toilets with Green Toilets for cleaner and safer railways eco-system.

Ludhiana station superintendent Ravinder Sharma said that the Design and Research Development Organisation had developed bio-toilets that were under extended trial to test their efficacy and suitability.

By June 2013, 2,500 coaches will be fitted with bio-toilets. Trial runs of retention-evacuation and vacuum toilets are also planned on a few premium trains such as Shatabdi Express.

Based on the results of the pilot project, more coaches would be equipped with green toilets.

“Disposal of waste on railway tracks creates a lot of stink, and makes it difficult for passengers to stand on station platform. The concept of “Green Toilets” would solve nearly half of our problems in making railways a hygienic and eco-friendly place,” said, Manjit Singh Dhillon, a senior citizen.

Feroezpur divisional railway manager NC Goyal said that work was in progress on the project and would be given final shape by the first half of 2013. He added that a complete switch over to bio-toilets would be complete by 2016-2017.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Ludhiana/Green-toilets-in-trains-on-anvil/SP-Article1-938928.aspx

Railways to set up bacteria generation plants for bio toilets

Railways is setting up a bacteria generation plant at the Rail Coach Factory here to meet the requirement of bio toilets in trains.

“We are setting up a plant here for generating anaerobic bacteria to be used in bio toilets in coaches. The plant will come up in a 100 cubic metre site at the Rail Coach Factory premises,” said a senior RCF official involved with the project.

Railways has set a target of installing bio toilets designed by DRDO in 2500 coaches in the current fiscal. Besides Kapurthala, there will be two more anaerobic bacteria generation plants to be set up at Chennai and Nagpur.

While bio toilets are being fitted in all new LHB coaches manufactured in RCF, conventional coaches will also be equipped with these toilets in a phased manner, said the RCF official.

The anaerobic bacteria inside the toilets consumes waste material and converts it into water and gas in the bio-toilet system. The water passing through chlorine tank is discharged as clean water and the gas generated evaporates into the atmosphere.

The RCF plant will produce about 10,000 litres of bacteria in 10 days. One toilet requires 150 litre of bacteria for 10 days. “Currently we are procuring bacteria from DRDO but we have to generate on our own to meet the requirement for all coaches,” he said, adding “the plant will be operational in the near future.”

The bio toilet is estimated to cost about Rs 1 lakh per unit. “It is odourless and it will also prevent corossion of rail tracks due to the open discharge of waste on rails,” he said.

The problem of environmental degradation and corrosion of tracks due to night soil has caught the attention of railways for a long time. Rail corrosion costs railways more than Rs 350 crore every year. Railways have successfully completed field trials using bio toilets in a few trains.

“We will equip 1200 coaches with bio toilets in the current fiscal,” the official said. Railways have set up a core committee which is working out details to undertake retro-fitment in about 50,000 coaches of the national transporter.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/278423/railways-set-up-bacteria-generation.html

Open to the tracks toilets make way for bio-toilets

The Indian Railways is replacing the existing open to the tracks toilets with brand new bio-toilets. The aim is simple: prevent corrosion of tracks and provide stench-free toilets to passengers.

“Some green toilets are already being manufactured and fitted in coaches, and we plan to manufacture 2500 bio-toilets in the current year,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.

The problem of environmental degradation and corrosion of tracks due to night soil (night soil is a euphemism for human excrement collected at night from cesspool, privies, etc) has been a long standing one. Rail corrosion costs the railways more than Rs. 350 crore every year.

“Our aim is to replace the existing toilets with bio-toilets in all long distance trains,” the official said.

The official said that the complete switch over to bio-toilets in new coaches will be carried out by 2016-17 while the total elimination of direct discharge toilet system in all passenger coaches will be done by 2021-22, the end of 13th Five-Year Plan.

The Kakodkar Committee on railway safety and Pitroda Committee on railway modernisation had strongly recommended in their reports for replacing the conventional open-discharge toilets with green toilets with a view to having cleaner, hygienic and safer railway ecosystem.

Five years and 43,000 carriages

Both the panels’recommended that toilets with nil or harmless discharge be installed within the next five years in all 43,000 carriages used by the Railways.

Waste is dumped directly on to the tracks because of the existing toilet system in trains.

Many passengers ignore requests to not use toilets when trains halt. Apart from the unbearable stench it creates, the practice leads to clogging of rail lines at busy stations.

Bio-toilets are already operational in some coaches as part of a pilot project. “Some modifications are being made during the trial and now the new technology will be extended to as many trains,” said the official.

Besides DRDO designed bio-toilets, trials for vacuum toilets are also being planned in a few premier trains.PTI

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