Archive · 17 Aug 2026
CAG Report Finds E.coli in Railway Station Drinking Water
A special government team called the CAG checks how things are working in India.
They checked the drinking water at many train stations.
They found tiny germs called bacteria in the water at some stations.
These germs are called E.coli and coliform bacteria.
Some of these germs can make people sick with tummy aches and fever.
The team also found that some station washrooms were not clean.
The germs were found at stations in places like Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Mumbai.
The team checked water over several years, from 2019 to 2024.
Many people travel by train in India, so clean water is very important.
The report tells the railways to make the water safe to drink.
A CAG report found E.coli bacteria in drinking water samples from water coolers at eight railway stations, including Coimbatore, Palakkad, Hyderabad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan, Lonavala and Madhupur.
Total coliform bacteria, including E.coli, were detected in tap water samples at 49 stations in eight zones during 2022-23 and 56 stations in nine zones during 2023-24.
The audit also found unhygienic conditions in railway washrooms.
Some strains of E.coli can cause food poisoning, diarrhoea and kidney failure.
The report covered instances from 2019-20 to 2023-24, when Indian Railways operated over 7,424 non-suburban passenger trains daily and carried 292.4 crore passengers in 2023-24.
- Who
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, which audited passenger services at Indian Railways stations.
- What
- E.coli and total coliform bacteria were found in drinking water samples at railway stations, and unhygienic conditions were found in washrooms.
- When
- Audit covering 2019-20 to 2023-24, with water tests during 2022-23 and 2023-24.
- Where
- Railway stations across India, including Coimbatore, Palakkad, Hyderabad, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan, Lonavala and Madhupur.
- Why
- Contaminated drinking water can cause food poisoning, diarrhoea and kidney failure.
- Reporting body
- Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
- Stations with E.coli in water coolers
- 8 stations across Southern, South Central, Central and Eastern Railways
- Stations with total coliforms in tap water
- 49 stations in 8 zones (2022-23); 56 stations in 9 zones (2023-24)
- Audit period
- 2019-20 to 2023-24
- Total non-suburban (NSG) stations
- 5,908
- Daily non-suburban passenger trains
- Over 7,424
- Non-suburban passengers in 2023-24
- 292.4 crore
- Health risks
- Food poisoning, diarrhoea, kidney failure