PUNE: Leaving no stone unturned, Pune Railway division under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has installed bio-toilets in 800 coaches out of 1000. The rest 200 will be installed by June this year as the work is done at speedy pace.
The division has provided the facility of new modern-day bio-toilet to the passengers instead of the conventional toilet in the trains. This facility will get rid of the dirt falling on the trek, as well as the prevention of diseases and protection of the environment.
Divisional Railway Manager DRM Milind Deouskar said, “Out of 1,000 coaches, bio-toilets have been installed in 800 coaches whereas in 200 coaches, the work is being done at a speedy pace. Trains departing from Pune junction Jhelum, Azad Hind, Patna, Ahmedabad Duronto, Secunderabad Shatabdi, Veraval, Gorakhpur, Manduadih, Ernakulam, Darbhanga, Lucknow and Amravati. Train departing from Kolhapur Maharashtra, Sahyadri, Koyna, Dhanbad, Nagpur Express and few passengers trains depart from Miraj have been included.”
“The Bio-toilet design is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Bio-toilets are not only user friendly and healthy but also environment-friendly. With the help of bacteria, the human faces are converted into gas and water and water chlorination is done further,” said the DRM.
A kiosk model has been set up for passengers to know more about bio-toilets at Pune junction premises, which makes them aware about how bio-toilets work and how to use it too. The Railways has requested the passengers to avoid dropping sanitary napkins, bottles, plastic items, gutkha pouches, wrappers etc. in the toilet, because of which the toilet chokes and other passengers face inconvenience.
NO OPEN DEFECATION
The division is set to eliminate the practise of open defecation along its tracks and premises. The Railways will impose a fine Rs 500 on those who will defecate openly. Though Maharashtra has been declared open defecation-free state, still many people practise it especially in areas from where train passes through Shivajinagar, Pimpri, Khadki, Chinchwad, Dapodi, Kasarwadi, Talegaon and Dehu Road, Saswad and Hadapsar. These all are main areas of Pune city from where train passes through. “Because of this practise, maintenance and repairing of railway tracks become difficult and corrosion occurs to tracks and also, it affects the signal system. It also creates environmental problem. National Green Tribunal has already given directions to keep railway track clean and open defecation free and Pune has been chosen as one of the smart cities in India. Hence, its now the responsibility of every citizen to keep railway track and premises free of open defecation,” said Manoj Jhawar, spokesperson of the Pune Railway Division.
