New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- Indian Railways has launched a special drive to clean and disinfect drinking-water tanks and filtration systems at stations across the country after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India flagged serious deficiencies, including harmful bacteria such as E. coli in water coolers at several stations.
"The initiative is part of a broader action plan for strengthening drinking-water quality management across Indian Railways. The action plan emphasises frequent inspection and maintenance of the entire drinking-water system, along with water-quality testing at the source as well as at the point of consumption, rather than relying solely on end-of-pipe water testing," the Railway ministry said in a statement on Monday.
Earlier, the CAG audit of more than 512 stations revealed alarming issues regarding poor water quality. Following which, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conducted a review and ordered several corrective measures, including the installation of new water filtration systems, replacement of water tanks, and regular testing of water quality.
Vaishnaw also ordered the installation of a water-filtration-and-monitoring system at approximately 20,000 points across the railway network.
The ministry on Monday decided to undertake a comprehensive drive under which all 18 zones have been asked to undertake a detailed inspection of water sources, treatment and filtration plants, tanks, water booths and other points.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.