2 weeks ago
Railways order filtration at 20,000 locations after E. coli report
A government watchdog called the CAG found tiny germs called E. coli in the drinking water at some railway stations in India.
E. coli germs can make people sick, and finding them in water is a sign that sewage or animal waste may have gotten into it.
The people in charge of the trains, called the Railways, wanted to fix this problem quickly.
The Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, held a big meeting and told workers to take immediate action.
They plan to install new water filters, called a 'Tank to Tap' system, at about 20,000 places, including water coolers.
They will also replace old water tanks and test the water regularly to make sure it is clean.
The CAG checked more than 500 stations and found that many were missing basic things like clean toilets and fans.
The railways promised to check water quality at the top level and publish reports so everyone can see the progress.
Some people worry that past repair work was often delayed, so the new plan must be carried out properly.
If it works, train passengers will have safer drinking water and better facilities at stations.
The CAG's report 'Passenger Amenities and Sanitation at Non-Suburban Railway Stations in Indian Railways' found total coliform bacteria, including E. coli, in drinking water samples from platform taps.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ordered immediate corrective measures after a high-level review meeting at Rail Bhavan.
A new 'Tank to Tap' water filtration and monitoring system will be installed at around 20,000 locations, including water coolers.
Additional measures include replacing old water tanks, regular water quality testing at source and outlet points, scheduled cleaning of storage tanks, and periodic publication of progress and water quality reports.
Contaminated samples were found at 49 stations in eight zones during 2022-23 and 56 stations in nine zones during 2023-24; 458 of 512 stations were deficient in minimum essential amenities.
- Who
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Ministry of Railways/Railway Board, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
- What
- Announced major upgrades including a 'Tank to Tap' water filtration system at around 20,000 locations after the CAG flagged E. coli in station drinking water
- Where
- Rail Bhavan in New Delhi and across the Indian railway network; contaminated samples were found at stations including Coimbatore, Palakkad, Hyderabad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan, Lonavala and Madhupur
- When
- Sunday, August 16, following the CAG audit report
- Why
- To address bacterial contamination and ensure safe drinking water for passengers after the CAG flagged poor water quality and amenities deficiencies
Backing the Railways' corrective plan
Concerns from the CAG audit
Response to the CAG findings
Backing the Railways' corrective plan
The Railways treated water quality as a top priority, monitoring progress directly at Board level and publishing progress and water quality reports to ensure transparency and rapid correction.
Concerns from the CAG audit
The CAG found that zones failed to comply with existing norms, causing E. coli in drinking water and unhygienic washrooms, which suggests the problems should have been prevented much earlier.
Implementation and follow-through
Backing the Railways' corrective plan
Installing filtration systems at 20,000 locations with regular source-and-outlet testing will comprehensively address contamination across the large railway network.
Concerns from the CAG audit
The CAG reported that 59% of passenger amenity works during 2019-20 to 2023-24 were delayed by one to over four years, raising doubts about timely execution of the new plan.
Key facts
- Trigger
- CAG report 'Passenger Amenities and Sanitation at Non-Suburban Railway Stations in Indian Railways'
- Contamination found
- Total coliform bacteria including E. coli in platform tap water at 49 stations (2022-23) and 56 stations (2023-24)
- Key measure
- 'Tank to Tap' water filtration and monitoring system
- Locations
- Around 20,000 locations, including water coolers
- Other measures
- Replacing water tanks, regular testing at source and outlet points, scheduled cleaning of storage tanks, centralized Board-level monitoring
- Minister
- Ashwini Vaishnaw
- Audit findings
- 458 of 512 stations (over 89%) deficient in minimum essential amenities; 59% of 395 amenity works delayed
Quotes
Senior railway official
Official in the Ministry of Railways
“From now onwards, the water quality of stations will be monitored at the board level. There will be scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks. Progress and water quality reports will be published periodically to ensure transparency.”
indianexpress.com
“Inspection of the water supply systems was not carried out as per prescribed periodicity. There was a shortfall in testing of drinking water for residual chlorine, bacteriological analysis and chemical analysis.”
indianexpress.com









