Late arrival: Health & hygiene on platform

KOCHI: Health and hygiene have finally entered the agenda of railway officials with the railway minister announcing the setting up of special bodies to increase amenities in trains.
As per his announcement, 2,500 coaches will have bio-toilets, which would be much cleaner and easier to maintain than the conventional ones.
“I am glad someone has actually begun to talk hygiene in trains.We were travelling in Punjab and had to make an overnight journey in a local train from Delhi. It was a horrible experience. There wasn’t water and all the toilets were so dirty that children almost puked,” said Bindu Suresh, a government employee.
A regular traveller between Tirur and Kozhikode, she says it is in long distance trains that one often comes across similar conditions in Kerala. “Compartments are so dirty that it is a mental torture to finish the journey,” she added.
Green toilets is an initiative of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Trials have already been done in major cities, including Chennai and Bangalore.
Passengers have also welcomed the proposal to set up a special housekeeping body to enhance the standard of hygiene.
“We often find food packets being kept near the toilets, which stink. It is very difficult to think of eating in these circumstances. Most often, passengers end up with health problems by the end of the journey,” said Charulatha Narayanan, yoga teacher, Ernakulam.
Also among the amenities proposed are escalators at stations, book-a-meal scheme, AC lounge, extension of housekeeping, mobile booking, and alternate train accommodation system to house waitlisted passengers.
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