Flush without fuss on WR trains soon
Rly officials tweak design to solve problems thrown up by trial of bio-toilets on two long-distance trains; if the experiment succeeds, the Board will decide in 6 months which trains will have the green toilets
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 06, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201004062010040603192145922203aa4)
The new one will have...
1. Mechanism to eject unwanted waste material
2. Central waste collection chamber
3. Bio reactor tank
4. Process chamber
5. Final process chamber
6. Ejection route
Stinking loos in trains will be a thing of the past if the trial runs on eco-friendly toilets is deemed a success. The Western Railway plans to change tracks from the open toilet to ‘biological’ ones in order to prevent wastage of water and solve hygiene problems.
The bio-toilets were installed in one coach of Azimabad Express, running between Ahmedabad and Patna, and a coach of the Gwalior-Baroni Express couple of months ago. Both are long-distance trains which are usually crowded.
The general manager of Western Railway was in Ahmedabad a couple of days ago to check out how the biological treatment facility was working. He will report the findings to the Western Railway Board. In six months, the Board will decide the trains on which the system will be installed.
The installation of eco-friendly toilets was announced by the then railway minister Lalu Yadav during the presentation of the 2008-09 railway budget in the Parliament. He had announced a provision of Rs 4,000 crore for ‘discharge–free green toilets’ in the 11th plan period.
The bio-digester is a technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), a wing of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The bacteria, used in a bio-digester, can convert human waste, releasing an effluent that is free from unpleasant odour and can prevent various diseases caused by human excreta.
It was first used by the defence forces in high altitude and has now been put under trial for commercial purpose in the trains. The system used in the trains collects excreta into a tank, which is divided into 2 chambers.
The waste is broken down in the first chamber within 6-7 days by enzymes produced by the patented bacterial culture. The leftover liquid from the first chamber flows into the secondary chamber where it is treated with chlorine before disposal.
This toilet uses less than 5 litres of water per flush against uncontrolled use of water in open toilets. In a year, about a kg of waste will be collected in the tank, which will be cleared manually.
Problems faced
The trial runs threw up problems. Initially, the amount of waste generated during the journey was more that the bacteria could digest. This caused a stink. Empty bottles, plastic pouches, pieces of paper thrown in by the user, choked the bio-digester. Overzealous staff using chemical cleaners destroyed the bacteria, causing the system to collapse.
The railway made changes in the design to make the system more effective. They added an automatic actuator with wiper to remove unwanted items like bottles, napkins and cups that can damage the system. They painted instructions on the toilet door to guide passengers in this regard. They also educated the cleaning staff.
Senior official of the Ahmedabad division said, “The trial period is coming to an end soon. We will solve a couple of minor problems, then the Board will be ready to decide the trains on which the system has to be installed.” The process of installing the bio-toilets in the selected trains will, however, take five to seven years, he added.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 06, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201004062010040603192145922203aa4)
1. Mechanism to eject unwanted waste material
2. Central waste collection chamber
3. Bio reactor tank
4. Process chamber
5. Final process chamber
6. Ejection route
Stinking loos in trains will be a thing of the past if the trial runs on eco-friendly toilets is deemed a success. The Western Railway plans to change tracks from the open toilet to ‘biological’ ones in order to prevent wastage of water and solve hygiene problems.
The bio-toilets were installed in one coach of Azimabad Express, running between Ahmedabad and Patna, and a coach of the Gwalior-Baroni Express couple of months ago. Both are long-distance trains which are usually crowded.
The general manager of Western Railway was in Ahmedabad a couple of days ago to check out how the biological treatment facility was working. He will report the findings to the Western Railway Board. In six months, the Board will decide the trains on which the system will be installed.
The installation of eco-friendly toilets was announced by the then railway minister Lalu Yadav during the presentation of the 2008-09 railway budget in the Parliament. He had announced a provision of Rs 4,000 crore for ‘discharge–free green toilets’ in the 11th plan period.
The bio-digester is a technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), a wing of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The bacteria, used in a bio-digester, can convert human waste, releasing an effluent that is free from unpleasant odour and can prevent various diseases caused by human excreta.
It was first used by the defence forces in high altitude and has now been put under trial for commercial purpose in the trains. The system used in the trains collects excreta into a tank, which is divided into 2 chambers.
The waste is broken down in the first chamber within 6-7 days by enzymes produced by the patented bacterial culture. The leftover liquid from the first chamber flows into the secondary chamber where it is treated with chlorine before disposal.
This toilet uses less than 5 litres of water per flush against uncontrolled use of water in open toilets. In a year, about a kg of waste will be collected in the tank, which will be cleared manually.
Problems faced
The trial runs threw up problems. Initially, the amount of waste generated during the journey was more that the bacteria could digest. This caused a stink. Empty bottles, plastic pouches, pieces of paper thrown in by the user, choked the bio-digester. Overzealous staff using chemical cleaners destroyed the bacteria, causing the system to collapse.
The railway made changes in the design to make the system more effective. They added an automatic actuator with wiper to remove unwanted items like bottles, napkins and cups that can damage the system. They painted instructions on the toilet door to guide passengers in this regard. They also educated the cleaning staff.
Senior official of the Ahmedabad division said, “The trial period is coming to an end soon. We will solve a couple of minor problems, then the Board will be ready to decide the trains on which the system has to be installed.” The process of installing the bio-toilets in the selected trains will, however, take five to seven years, he added.
