Bio-toilets to be installed in all trains by 2018-end: Government

The Union Ministry of Railways has advanced target for 100% completion of installing human waste discharge free Bio-toilets in coaches to December 2018. Earlier, the target to install bio-toilets in all its coaches as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission was by September 2019.
The new target was announced at event titled “Indian Transport Sector: Marching towards sustainable mobility” at Conference of Parties (COP-23), Indian Pavilion at Bonn, Germany. The announcement comes on backdrop of World Toilet Day (observed on 19 November) with the theme Wastewater.

Bio-toilets

Indian Railway had developed environment friendly ‘Bio-toilets in association with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Bio-toilets evacuate discharge into a biodigester tank, containing anaerobic bacteria, fitted underneath train coach in small space. The bacteria convert human faecal matter into water and small amount of gases (including methane) by process of hydrolysis, acetogenesis, acidogenesis and methanogenesis.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017