Step up installation of bio-toilets, deadline now 2019: NGT to railways

The move came after a petition was filed by law students interning with a Pune-based advocate Rama Sarode

The National Green Tribunal has changed the deadline for installation of bio-toilets in all trains to December 31, 2019 and asked the Union railway ministry to do the job on war footing. In a recent order, the tribunal told the ministry to speed up the installation of 2.2 lakh bio-toilets, the deadline for which was earlier December 2021.

Travelling passengers generate approximately 3,980 metric tonne of human waste per day, says a CAG report. (Pic for Representation)

The move came after a petition was filed by law students interning with a Pune-based advocate Rama Sarode. Quoting a Comptroller and Auditor General report from 2013, the petition and the subsequent court order read, “Indian Railway transports about 14 million passengers on 9,000 trains everyday. Travelling passengers generate approximately 3,980 metric tonne of human waste per day that is dumped through open discharge type toilets of these coaches.” The petition demanded that bio-toilets be installed soon in trains.

Notices were served to the Indian Railway Ministry and the Chairman of the Railway board, Delhi. They filed an affidavit on April 19 and provided an updated schedule for installation.

In the financial year 2017-2018, the ministry plans to install 40,000 bio-toilets in 10,000 coaches. In the financial year 2018-2019, the ministry claims to install 60,000 bio-toilets in 15,000 coaches. Before the 2019 comes to an end, the ministry aims to finish installation of another 30,000 bio-toilets in 7,500 coaches.