Andhra Scientist Develops Cheaper Alternative To Bio-Toilets For Railways

In contrast with railway bio-toilets which cost Rs 1 lakh per unit, the new technology brings down the cost to Rs 15,000 rupees only.

An Andhra Pradesh-based scientist has developed an automated technology for the collection of toilet waste, which is easy to maintain and seven times cheaper alternative to the bio-toilets, and will be used to maintain the toilet system of the Indian Railways, according to the Union Science and Technology ministry. Existing bio-toilets use anaerobic bacteria for converting human waste to gas, but that bacteria can't decompose plastic and cloth materials dumped into toilets by passengers. Hence, maintenance and the removing of such non decomposed materials inside the tank is difficult. The technology developed by Dr RV Krishnaiah from Chebrolu Engineering College is an automated system for the collection of toilet waste from running trains and the segregation of different materials and processing into usable things. The technology developed with support from the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies programme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), aligned with the “Make in India” initiative has been granted five national patents and is in the testing phase.