E coli bacteria in drinking water, no toilets, no dustbins: CAG flags basics missing at major railway stations
Stations like Mumbai Central, Kolkata-adjacent Howrah and Sealdah, and even New Delhi, found deficient in seating, toilets, dustbins, electronic boards
A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has highlighted the absence of basic amenities at major railway stations across India. The audit examined passenger services at 512 non-suburban grade stations in all railway zones and found that E coli bacteria, typically found in human excreta, had been detected in drinking water samples from water coolers at several stations.
This included water sample sites at Coimbatore and Palakkad in Southern Railway, Hyderabad in South Central Railway, and four stations in Central Railway (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan, and Lonavala) as well as Madhupur in Eastern Railway.
The audit revealed that 458 out of the 512 selected stations, or approximately 90%, were deficient in what is described as Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA), which are stipulated by the Railway Board. The MEA includes drinking water, waiting halls, seating arrangements, platform shelters, urinals, latrines, high-level platforms, fans, Foot Over Bridges, dustbins, clocks, and public address systems.
Despite the Railway Board issuing instructions in April 2018 mandating the provision of MEAs at all stations by 31 August 2018, the audit found that even NSG-1 stations, which are classified as mega-hubs handling over 2 crore passengers annually, were lacking in basic facilities such as seating arrangements, sanitary facilities, dustbins, and electronic indicator boards.
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