The Hindu Business Line : Signalling more hygienic toilet system in trains

The Indian Railways' bid to improve hygiene level in trains by introducing environment-friendly toilets has received a healthy response from companies, including global ones, interested in supplying alternative toilet systems that would keep the bogies, track and their sides and stations clean.

The Ministry of Railways has received about 12 bids in response to its tender floated inviting proposals for environment-friendly toilets in trains, according to officials. The bids would be further studied and the Railway Ministry has decided to test the selected technologies on each train. "Testing these technologies during a trial run would help us improve the toilet systems so that they suit the Indian trains," said an official.

"The problem of open toilets in trains has not been completely solved even in the developed countries. Moreover, introducing alternative models that function in developed countries would have its own share of problems for India," he added. The difference in the sheer population travelling in trains and the profile of passengers using trains in India and developed countries is different.

While the sources declined to name the companies that have bid, it is understood that companies in the race include Sweden's Evac, Semco, and US-based Microphor. These companies, whose client list include railways in Germany, Australia and the US, have also visited the Ministry and made presentations to the Railway officials. Moreover, the Railways had also got in touch with Indian-outfits such as Sulabh International and RDSO-IIT Kharagpur to submit their proposals.

The Railways' effort is part of the Government'sobjective to eliminate open toilet systems by 2011-13. A few months ago, the Ministry of Railways had invited proposals from interested parties for finding out an alternative system of open toilets in passenger coaches. The proposals had been invited from parties with experience in supplying environment-friendly toilet system to airlines, railways and with experience in toilet engineering.

The three options: The Railways has broadly three methods of implementing environment-friendly toilet systems. First, as per which a tank can be built underneath the coach to collect the wastage and the waste is disposed off at select destinations. The second method suggests a biological option wherein the waste is disposed off in large pits in the ground so that they are then converted to manure. The shortcoming of this method is that the conversion of human waste to manure could take up to 20-30 years.

The third option is an improvement of the biological option and involves introduction of some chemicals and other improvement agents, along with controlled temperature, so as to convert the solid waste into manure within two to three weeks. "However, all these methods require certain regulated conditions in order to be implemented, for which maintenance in the Indian Railways would be the challenge," said the official.