Indian Railways installs e-toilets in train coaches! In a first of its kind initiative, the national transporter has installed e-toilets in train coaches on the occasion of the World Toilet Day. To ensure hygiene, e-toilets integrate toilet functions electronically, resulting in simple to operate pressurized flushing. The e-toilets also incorporate several additional functions/system integrations and sensors. For quite some time, e-toilets have been in use in static locations, however, the concept has been tried for the first time in a mobile environment of a railway coach by LTT Depot, Mumbai Division, Central Railways. At present, coach 3A of train number 11013 (LTT Coimbatore) is being monitored for the performance of e-toilet. Wondering how e-toilets function and what makes them different from the existing toilets in train coaches? Here are the highlights:
*The toilet pan gets automatically flushed on sensing of the opening of the toilet door, giving a clean hygienic toilet for each use.
*Just by pushing a button, an electronically-operated valve ensures easy flushing. Moreover, pressure nozzles integrated with the toilet pans ensures pressurized flushing.
*All round flushing is ensured by custom designed Indian pan with integrated, adequately sloped floor.
*The floor is automatically flushed clean after five usages.
*Another major characteristic is concealed piping with reduced joints to ensure an increased flow of pressure.
*The interiors have been done using plastic recycled crib sheets, which are made after hot pressing, empty tetra packs and shredded plastic waste of empty toothpaste/cosmetic tubes.
*The e-toilets also have improved ventilation system through Venturi Design Window.
*They are also compatible with existing Bio-Toilets.
In collaboration with Eram Scientific, Kerela, Indian Railways developed e-toilets as retrofittable design to address most toilet issues in railway coaches. The initiative is another step by the national transporter to address toilet cleaning issues in train coaches. The performance of e-toilet would be monitored by the Central Zonal Railways, following which further propagation would be decided.