Centre orders corrective measures after CAG flags unsafe drinking water at railway stations
NEW DELHI: Railway ministry on Sunday ordered corrective measures to ensure safe drinking water at railway stations following a CAG report on drinking water quality.After a whole-day review by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other senior officials, the ministry ordered the installation of a “Tank to Tap” water filtration system at railway stations. The ministry said water coolers and a comprehensive water filtration and monitoring system will be installed at 20,000 locations across the railway network.The government also ordered the replacement of water tanks and strict compliance with water testing, accountability and scheduled cleaning.“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 railway ministry said.“This action is part of a larger drive to address all CAG observations and improve the overall travel experience,” it added.This comes after a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said E. coli bacteria, some strains of which can cause food poisoning, diarrhoea and kidney failure, had been detected in drinking water samples collected from water coolers at several railway stations.The CAG study assessed passenger services at 512 non-suburban grade railway stations across all Indian Railway zones. It found that water samples from coolers tested positive for E. coli at eight railway stations across four zones.“Water sample from water cooler was positive for E. coli at two stations (Coimbatore and Palakkad Junctions) in SR (Southern Railway), one station (Hyderabad) in SCR (South Central Railway), four stations (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala) in CR (Central Railway) and one station (Madhupur) in ER (Eastern Railway),” the report said, according to PTI.The audit also found that 458 of the 512 selected stations – more than 89% – were deficient in providing Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA). At these stations, MEAs were either not provided or were available below the prescribed norms.“In April 2018, RB (Railway Board) issued comprehensive instructions prescribing Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA), Recommended Amenities (RA) and Desirable Amenities (DA) for stations categorised as NSG 1 to NSG 6.
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RB stipulated that MEAs were to be ensured at all stations by 31 August 2018,” the report stated.Among its key recommendations, the CAG urged the Railways to “ensure compliance with prescribed protocols for inspection of water supply systems and comprehensive testing of drinking water quality, including all parameters under the Uniform Drinking Water Quality Protocol.”
