No toilet in 18 passenger trains in East-Coast Railways, NHRC intervention sought

An Odisha based activist has sought intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the apex rights panel of the country over no-toilets train running in the Indian Railways.

Based on the Right to information (RTI) replies from the Railway Ministry, Odisha based rights activist Akhand has submitted before the Commission that there are 58 passenger trains running without a train in Eastern Railways and 18 numbers are in East Coast Railways.

He had sought information on non-toilets trains in Indian Railways. In the reply to the query, J.K.Sahu, the PIO of Eastern Railway Head quarter at Bhubaneswar, has informed that “In East Coast Railway Zone of Indian Railways, 18 passenger trains are running, in which some of the coaches run without toilets.”

The PIO also attached a list of trains running in the concerned zone without a toilet. These includes passengers trains running between Visakhapatnam-Vizianagram, Vizianagram-Palasa, Brahmapur-Bhubaneswar, Balugan-Palasa, Cuttack-Paradeep, Cuttak-Balugaon, Palasa – Brahmpur, Balugan-Bhubaneswar, Cuttack-Balugan, Bhubaneswar-Bhadrak. (The list is attached with this mail for the consideration of the Honorable Commissions)

Earlier, the PIO of Eastern Railway, had replied that there are 58 numbers such trains in Eastern Railway Coaches.

“After getting the new information about the non-toilets trains in the different zones in the railways, I have filled a fresh complaint before NHRC”, said Akhand.

It is noted that, in Dec 2013, Akhand had filed a petition before the NHRC to issue order to Railways to eliminate conventional and direct discharge toilets in the train coaches. Railways fist time had assured to eliminate production such toilets by 2021-22. (IANS)