The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged serious deficiencies in passenger amenities, sanitation and drinking water facilities at railway stations across the country. The audit found E. coli bacteria in drinking water from water coolers at eight railway stations.
E. coli found in water samples
The audit found that bacteriological testing of drinking water had not been conducted at 59 stations across six railway zones.
Water samples from water coolers tested positive for E. coli at eight stations: Coimbatore and Palakkad Junction under Southern
Railway, Hyderabad under South Central Railway; Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala under Central Railway; and Madhupur under Eastern Railway.
The CAG also detected Total coliform bacteria, including E. coli, in drinking water samples collected from platform taps at 49 stations across eight zones in 2022-23 and 56 stations across nine zones in 2023-24.
Other bacteriological tests were also found unsatisfactory at eight stations across four zones in 2022-23 and 11 stations across five zones in 2023-24.
Over 89% of stations lacked essential amenities
The audit covered 512 non-suburban railway stations across all railway zones. Of these, 458 stations, or more than 89%, were found deficient in Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA). These facilities were either unavailable or did not meet prescribed standards.
The Railway Board had issued guidelines in April 2018 for Minimum Essential, Recommended and Desirable Amenities at stations classified from NSG-1 to NSG-6. It had directed that all essential amenities be provided by August 31, 2018.
These facilities include drinking water, waiting halls, seating, platform shelters, toilets, high-level platforms, fans, foot overbridges, dustbins, clocks and public announcement systems.
Even major NSG-1 stations such as CSMT, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central were found lacking facilities such as seating, sanitation, dustbins and electronic train information boards.
At NSG-1 stations, the audit found shortages of drinking water taps at 12 stations, fans and water coolers at eight stations each, and signage at five stations.
Shortage of toilets and water taps
An analysis of the Passenger Amenities Management System showed a shortage of latrines at 201 stations, urinals at 403 stations and water taps at 2,035 stations.
The CAG recommended that the Railways strictly follow prescribed procedures for inspecting water supply systems and conduct comprehensive drinking water quality tests covering all parameters under the Uniform Drinking Water Quality Protocol.
The audit covered instances identified during test checks between 2019-20 and 2023-24, along with earlier cases that had not been reported and, where required, cases from after 2023-24.
Indian Railways has 5,908 non-suburban railway stations and operated more than 7,424 non-suburban passenger trains daily, carrying around 292.4 crore passengers in 2023-24.
What is E. coli?
E. coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. While most strains are harmless, some can cause food poisoning, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and urinary tract infections.