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As bio-toilets clog, Railways turns to vacuum toilets in 13 trains

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By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) With its much-touted bio-toilets proving less than reliable, Indian Railways is turning to vacuum toilets for 13 premier trains, including the Howrah Rajdhani, Goa Rajdhani, Amritsar Swarn Shatabdi and Bandra-Patna Humsafar.

The bio-toilets, which replaced open toilets in trains, have been prone to clogging due to dumping of waste such as bottles, pouches, plastic cups, paper and other material in the pans — resulting in foul smell.

“We are beginning with the procurement of 2,000 vacuum toilets for 13 trains — and later many more trains will have this facility,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.

All coaches of the Bandra-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Special, Maharashtra Sampark Kranti Express, Bandra-Ghazipur City Express, Mumbai Veraval Express, Dibrugarh Rajdhani, Kaifiyat Express, Vivek Express, Kolkata-Ghazipur City Express, Ananya Express and Poorva Express will now have vacuum toilets – the kind that are operational in aircraft.

All new Humasafar Express trains will also be equipped with vacuum toilets, said the official.

The vacuum toilet will have a bio-digester to convert the waste into water and a suction pump that sucks out waste without need for much water to flush it.

“This will help contain the foul smell as well as reduce the use of water,” said the official.

Typically, a bio-toilet uses 10-15 litres of water per flush, whereas the vacuum toilet consumes only about half a litre.

Trials of vacuum toilets were carried out in the newly-launched premium train Tejas. Now it will be installed 13 more trains.

The vacuum toilet costs about Rs 2.5 lakh, but the price will come down with the procurement of more such toilets, said the official.

Meanwhile, the Railways has also tried to address the choking issue of bio-toilets by changing the shape of the pipes below the pan.

Earlier, there was a “P-trap shape” which has been replaced with an “S-trap pipe” which seems to be more effective in prevent clogging, the official said.

There is a need for greater awareness among passengers about not throwing any material into bio-toilets so that they can function without choking, he added.

As part of the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Mission, Indian Railways had announced its aim of converting the entire rail route in the country into a discharge-free zone. The installation of bio-toilets in its entire coach fleet was part of this mission.

(Arun Kumar Das is a senior Delhi-based freelance journalist. He can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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