Indian Railways has traveled many miles of tracks since its introduction in 1853.However, anyone who has traveled on Indian trains is fully aware thatthe facilities on board are lacking in more ways than one. Unhygienictoilets reeking of human excreta have left many a traveler with anunpleasant experience, and have been an environmental burden as well.But things are starting to change for the better. Indian rails willsoon boast eco-friendly toilets, thanks to an initiative from theHonorable Minister of Railways Laloo Prasad Yadav.The installation of eco-friendly toilets was announced by the Railway Minister during the presentation of the 2008-09 Indian Railwaybudget in the Parliament. There are two different technologies thatwill begin implementation with a testing phase. The first one wasdeveloped by the railway’s Research Designs and Standards Organization in Lucknow, with Microphorof the US and Faridadbad-based Aikon Technology. This system collectsexcreta into a tank, which is divided into 2 chambers. The waste isbroken down in the first chamber within 6-7 days by enzymes produced bya patented bacterial culture. The leftover liquid from the firstchamber flows into the secondary chamber where it is treated withchlorine before disposal. So far, eighty of these prototype bio-toiletswere procured and installed on Prayagraj express and AP Express. The other test toilet has been developed by a group of scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.These eco-toilets were developed under the Technology Mission onRailway Safety, and are based on chemical treatment. They are “zero-discharge” toiletsthat separate the solid and liquid part of the human waste. The solidpart is collected in a container, and liquid waste is recycled and usedfor flushing. The system thus avoids depositing the human waste on therails. This prototype toilet is being tested in one Chennai train. When the test phase is complete, the Indian Railways plans toinstall eco-friendly toilets in its approximately 9,000 trains by2011-13
www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/15/indian-railways-going-green-with-eco-toilets/