Parliament Question: Railway Stations

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6075 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 RAILWAY STATIONS 6075. SHRI ADITYA YADAV: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government agrees with the view that all major railway stations in the country should implement automated waste segregation units, self cleaning toilets and bio-waste recycling units to create a hygienic transit environment and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the initiatives proposed to be taken by the Government that water conservation measures, rainwater harvesting and energy- efficient smart lighting will also contribute to sustainable station operation; and (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (c): Indian Railways accord high priority to effective waste management including its disposal and segregation, water conservation and energy efficiency in station operations. Various initiatives taken in this regard are as follows:- • Provision of two bin type dustbins has been carried out at the major stations for segregation of bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste, at source. • Waste collected inside trains is collected and disposed in garbage disposal bags at designated en-route stations, identified for waste disposal. § Page 1 of 3• Based on local conditions, feasibility and requirement, tie-ups for waste disposal, have been made between local Railway authorities and municipal bodies. • Infrastructure like Sewage treatment plants (STPs), Effluent Treatment plants (ETPs) has been installed and commissioned, on need basis, at more than 200 stations over Indian Railways. • Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF), where non-compostable solid waste can be temporarily stored to facilitate segregation, sorting and recovery of recyclables from various components of waste, have been set up. • Zero discharge Bio-toilets have been fitted in all passenger coaches to prevent falling of fecal matter on railway tracks. The details of provision of bio toilets are as under: Period Number of Bio-Toilet fitted 2004-2014 9,587 2014- Till February 2026 3,66,250 • Plastic Bottle Crushing Machines (PBCMs) have been installed at major stations as per requirement. • For efficient and economical utilization of water and to ensure systematic approach in water management, “Indian Railway Water Policy” has been issued by Railway Board in 2017 wherein measurement and accountal of water consumption has been defined. Ministry of Railway is taking steps for conservation of water by minimizing the use of fresh water by conducting regular Water Audit at major consumption centre in Railways for account of water uses and by using treated water from Water Recycling Plants (WRPs) for other allied purpose (non potable uses). Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) Systems are also being installed in Railway and have been made mandatory in all buildings. Page 2 of 3• Water conservation measures such as water recycling and rainwater harvesting are also considered in Environment Management Plan of redevelopment of stations. • Automatic Coach Washing Plants help in water conservation by recycling the used water. • Indian Railways has issued guidelines for adoption of energy efficiency measures in non-traction over Indian Railways incorporating various aspects related to energy efficiency including extensive use of sensor based and timer controlled lighting systems, automatic 30%-70% platform lighting through circuit segregation linked to train movements. In addition to this, Indian Railways has already achieved 100% LED lighting across its offices, Railway stations, service buildings and residential colonies. ***** Page 3 of 3