Mysuru: Central Railway Workshop, Ashokapuram that has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of fixing bio-toilets to the existing rail coaches since September 2014, has gathered momentum over the past few weeks. The workshop is now engaged in fitting eight bio-toilets in two rail coaches on a daily basis. The Railway Board is keeping track on the progress of the work everyday through its official website.
During 2012-13, Union Railway Budget allocated an amount of Rs 2450 Crore for the retro fitment of environment friendly bio-toilet system to 24500 rail coaches. On a trial basis, the Railway Board during August 2013 allotted 42 coaches to Central Railway Workshop for retro fitment of DRDO bio-toilets. The Central Railway Workshop having secured orders from the Board during September 2014 has already fitted 612 bio-toilets in 221 coaches. Further upto March this financial year, the workshop will fit 340 more bio-toilets in 84 coaches. The central government during its budget on Wednesday had mentioned that all rail coaches will be fitted with bio-toilets by 2019.
Since each bio-toilet weighs around 450kg the same can be fitted only to the coaches which are found fit. Owing to its weight the task of fitting the bio-toilets is not easy and lot of work and calculation is made by the experts before it is prepared and sent out of the workshop. Through bio-toilet facilities solid waste will be ingested by liquid bacteria called “Anaerobic bacteria” and later the liquid will be released during the course of journey. Manufacturing of bacteria for bio-digester is being done at Motibagh in Nagpur. About 125 ltr of bacteria is required per bio-digester tank. The system does not require oxygen and also does not require regular cleaning. The new coaches which are coming up are having bio-toilet facilities.
Speaking to Newskarnataka, U Subba Rao, Chief Works Manager, Central Railway Workshop, who is very friendly with all the employees by giving timely promotions and solving their issues said, “Apart from our regular work which is repairing and maintenance of the rail coaches, since September 2014, on the direction from Railway Board we were also involved in fitting bio-toilets to healthy coaches. But now the fitting of bio-toilets to coaches has been outsourced. Already we have fitted 612 bio-toilets in 221 coaches and another 340 bio-toilets in 84 coaches will be installed by March. About 50 railway workshops across India including one in Hubbali are involved in fitting bio-toilets. Railway workshop at Hubballi is also involved in fitting eight bio-toilets in two coaches every day. Railway Board is monitoring the work on a daily basis and there is a website where we give daily updates including total number of bio-toilets fitted on each day. For the past six to seven months the complaint regarding bio-toilets has come down as people have started to get use of it.”
Dimensions and Volume of Bio-digester Tank:
Length -1150 mm; Width-720 mm; Height–540 mm; Total Volume of Tank–400 ltr; Effective Volume of Tank-300ltr, Empty Tank weight –110 Kg; Full Tank Weight – 410 Kg.