Railway minister orders immediate measures to ensure safe drinking water at stations

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday ordered immediate corrective measures to ensure safe drinking water at railway stations across the country, following a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that flagged the presence of harmful bacteria, such as E.coli, in water coolers at several stations.

Railway Board orders immediate action

Vaishnaw, along with senior officials, conducted a daylong review and ordered several measures, including the installation of water-filtration systems, replacement of water tanks and regular testing of water quality, according to a press note issued by the Railway Ministry on Sunday.

PTI on Saturday was the first to report on the CAG audit of more than 512 stations, which made startling revelations about poor water quality and inadequate passenger amenities.

CAG flags E.coli in drinking water

The CAG found that the Railway Ministry had framed several norms for passenger amenities at stations. However, zones failed to comply with those, leading to widespread deficiencies in services, including the presence of E.coli in the drinking water in water coolers and unhygienic conditions in washrooms.

Test results of drinking water samples collected from platform taps at 49 stations in eight zones during 2022-23 and 56 stations in nine zones during 2023-24 indicated the presence of Total coliform bacteria (including E-coli), the report stated.

20,000 locations to get filtration systems

Following the deficiencies highlighted in the audit, the Railway Board sprang into action to take corrective measures.

A new "tank-to-tap" water-filtration system will be installed at 20,000 locations, including water coolers. A comprehensive water-filtration-and-monitoring system will also be put in place at approximately 20,000 points across the railway network, a press note said.

It added that other measures include replacing water tanks, strict compliance with regular water quality testing at source and outlet points, centralised monitoring and accountability, and scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks.

Water quality reports to be published

"This is a top priority area and will be monitored directly at the Board level. Progress and water quality reports will be published periodically to ensure transparency," the Ministry said.

"This action is part of a larger drive to address all CAG observations and improve the overall travel experience," it added.