Railways to overhaul drinking water system

New Delhi: Indian Railways will install new "Tank to Tap" Water Filtration System at around 20,000 locations including water coolers and a comprehensive water filtration and monitoring systems. This decision was taken by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a review following a comptroller and auditor general (CAG) report on drinking water quality on the national transporter.Officials said immediate corrective measures have been ordered for safe drinking water across Railways.The immediate actions also include replacement of water tanks and strict compliance on regular water quality testing at source and outlet points. There will also be centralised monitoring and accountability, besides scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks.Also read | India's first high-speed rail corridor nears completion; here is a latest ground report“This is a top priority area and will be monitored directly at the Board level,” a senior official said, adding progress and water quality reports will be published periodically to ensure transparency.This action is part of a larger drive to address all CAG observations and improve the overall travel experience, the official added.Also read | CAG flags E. coli bacteria in drinking water at Railway stations, cites violation of Railway Board norms