PATNA: The Indian Railways recently signed an MoU with the Defence Research and Development Organization ( DRDO) to develop environ-ment-friendly toilet system to improve further hygienic condition in toilets on running trains across the country.
According to a Railway Board official, the design of the proposed new toilet system has been developed by the DRDO.
The railways has decided to manufacture two rakes fitted with eco-friendly toilet system. The rail-ways would first put these rakes on trial and then the newly developed technology would be gradually introduced in superfast trains, he said.
The Board official said that the objective behind introducing the new system is to maintain zero discharge toilet system (Â ZDTS) on running trains. The Research Design and Standard Organization (RSDO) and IIT, Kanpur, have jointly developed its design. This system was put on trial on one bogie of a train recently, he said.
The Board official maintained that the railways greatest concern is to provide homely comforts to passengers on running trains.
The concept of providing green toilets on running trains has been the pilot project of the railways. It will be introduced gradually in most of mail and express trains in different zones of the railways, he said. During the trial of the new system, it was observed that the response of passengers travelling by Bundlekhand-Varanasi Express was good. The railways would manufacture more such new bogies fitted with eco-friendly toilets soon, the sources said.