Green train toilets likely to have 90% success rate

Environment-friendly toilets will be built for trains to ensure better waste disposal. The Ministry of Railway has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for joint technology development using the bio-digester technology developed by Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE).

Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur have jointly built suitable designs for the project, based on the bio-digester technology, known as the zero discharge toilet system (ZDTS). Zero discharge toilets means nothing is discharged on the track or anywhere else. ZDTS has the added advantage of lower capital cost and higher net present value as compared to conventional wastewater treatment system.

K.H. Muniyappa, Minister of State for Railways, said in the Lok Sabha recently, "Trials of vacuum retention toilets on Shatabdi trains are also underway. Suitable technology option for Indian Railways operating conditions are yet to be established." An official from the RDSO said that with the growing railway network and increase in the number of passengers open discharge of waste has become a big problem, "When we initiated this concept in 2006, infrastructure and funds were prominent issues. The results of the trials in railway coaches today are satisfactory with 90% success rate."

Dr Vinod Tare, a professor working on the project at IIT, Kanpur explained the benefits of such toilets, "It will avoid filthy conditions on the track; prevent corrosion of the underside of the toilet portion of the coach and rails leading to substantial savings; and maintain hygienic conditions. The estimated cost is approximately Rs 10 lakh per coach, and the annual operating and management cost is Rs 35,000 per toilet."

He added that the Railways would have to spend a substantial amount to ensure that proper infrastructure is in place. "It will be successful as we have already done trials on one coach on a train running between Chennai and Lucknow, and Chennai and Jammu Tawi. We have to build capacity for large scale adaptation, which will take one or two years. We have been given orders by RDSO to implement the ZDTS on 14 coaches of a train from the southern region," he said.

19 December 2010 — The Sunday Guardian.