E. coli bacteria found in drinking water samples across railway stations: CAG report

CAG
epo t
o
I dia
Railways

NEW
DELHI:
E.
coli
bacte ia,
some
st ai s
of
which
ca
cause
food
poiso i g,
dia hoea
a d
kid ey
failu e,
has
bee
detected
i
d i ki g
samples
collected
f om
wate
coole s
at
seve al
ailway
statio s,
acco di g
to
a
epo t
by
the
Compt olle
a d
Audito
Ge e al
(CAG)
of
I dia.The
CAG
study
assessed
passe ge
se vices
at
512
o -subu ba
g ade
ailway
statio s
ac oss
all
I dia
Railway
zo es.It
fou d
that
wate
samples
f om
coole s
tested
positive
fo
E.
coli
at
eight
ailway
statio s
ac oss
fou
zo es.”Wate
sample
f om
wate
coole
was
positive
fo
E.coli
at
two
statio s
(Coimbato e
a d
Palakkad
Ju ctio s)
i
SR
(Southe
Railway),
o e
statio
(Hyde abad)
i
SCR
(South
Ce t al
Railway),
fou
statio s
(Chhat apati
Shivaji
Maha aj
Te mi us,
Bhiwa di
Road,
Kalya
a d
Lo avala)
i
CR
(Ce t al
Railway)
a d
o e
statio
(Madhupu )
i
ER
(Easte
Railway),”
the
epo t
said,
acco di g
to
PTI.The
audit
also
fou d
that
458
of
the
512
selected
statio s—mo e
tha
89%—we e
deficie t
i
p ovidi g
Mi imum
Esse tial
Ame ities
(MEA).
At
these
statio s,
MEAs
we e
eithe
ot
p ovided
o
we e
available
below
the
p esc ibed
o ms.”I
Ap il
2018,
RB
(Railway
Boa d)
issued
comp ehe sive
i st uctio s
p esc ibi g
Mi imum
Esse tial
Ame ities
(MEA),
Recomme ded
Ame ities
(RA)
a d
Desi able
Ame ities
(DA)
fo
statio s
catego ised
as
NSG
1
to
NSG
6.

RB
stipulated
that
MEAs
we e
to
be
e su ed
at
all
statio s
by
31
August
2018,”
the
epo t
stated.”RB’s
i st uctio s
(Ap il
2018)
ma dated
that
MEAs
be
p ovided
fi st
at
all
statio s,
i espective
of
catego y.
These
i clude
d i ki g
wate ,
waiti g
halls,
seati g
a a geme ts,
platfo m
shelte s,
u i als,
lat i es,
high-level
platfo ms,
fa s,
Foot
Ove
B idges
(FOBs),
dustbi s,
clocks
a d
public
add ess
systems,”
it
added.Acco di g
to
the
CAG,
I dia
Railways
has
5,908
statio s
u de
the
No -Subu ba
G oup
(NSG),
while
it
ope ated
mo e
tha
7,424
o -subu ba
passe ge
t ai s
daily
a d
ca ied
292.4
c o e
o -subu ba
passe ge s
i
2023-24.Deficie cies
we e
fou d
eve
at
NSG-1
statio s
such
as
CSMT
a d
Mumbai
Ce t al
(both
i
Mumbai),
How ah
a d
Sealdah
(both
West
Be gal)
a d
New
Delhi,
i cludi g
i
seati g
a a geme ts,
sa ita y
facilities
such
as
u i als
a d
lat i es,
dustbi s
a d
elect o ic
t ai
i dicato
boa ds.Explai i g
the
atio ale
fo
the
detailed
i spectio ,
the
CAG
oted
that
the
Railway
Boa d
had
issued
va ious
guideli es
fo
p ovidi g
passe ge
ame ities
at
statio s.
The
audit
assessed
whethe
the
Railways’
effo ts
to
p ovide
passe ge
ame ities
a d
sa itatio
facilities
we e
delive i g
the
i te ded
be efits.

A
a alysis
of
the
Passe ge
Ame ities
Ma ageme t
System
also
evealed
sho tfalls
agai st
MEA
o ms,
i cludi g
i adequate
lat i es
at
201
statio s,
u i als
at
403
statio s
a d
wate
taps
at
2,035
statio s,
amo g
othe
deficie cies.Amo g
its
key
ecomme datio s,
the
CAG
u ged
the
Railways
to
“e su e
complia ce
with
p esc ibed
p otocols
fo
i spectio
of
wate
supply
systems
a d
comp ehe sive
testi g
of
d i ki g
wate
quality,
i cludi g
all
pa amete s
u de
the
U ifo m
D i ki g
Wate
Quality
P otocol.”

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