CAG crimson flags railways’ waste administration system

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has criticised the railways over its waste administration system in virtually all sectors from stations, teaching depots, upkeep and manufacturing models in addition to bio-medical waste generated in its hospitals.

The CAG report on Waste Management in Indian Railways was offered in Parliament on Monday.

It additionally identified that there isn’t any single physique or company within the Indian Railways solely chargeable for dealing with waste management-related points, including that there isn’t any system of devoted fund allocation particularly for waste administration.

“Despite an assurance to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for setting up Engineering and Health Management directorate at the zonal and at the divisional level, compliance by the Indian Railways (IR) was partial.”

“Accountable entities at the railway stations, divisions and at the zonal level were not constituted in 38. 60 per cent of the stations test checked. In 59 stations out of 109 selected for audit, directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for obtaining Consent to Establish (CTEs) from related State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) were not complied with (as of 31 July 2021),” the report acknowledged.

The report additionally stated the nationwide transporter failed to completely adjust to directives of the NGT for implementing 24 verifiable indicators for monitoring of waste administration at 36 main stations.

In 65 different main stations chosen, the progress on implementation of verifiable indicators was not encouraging, it stated.

“Segregated waste collected from pantry cars and trains with on board housekeeping services (OBHS) was not unloaded in secured bags in 45 per cent test checked stations. In 86 per cent test checked stations, waste collected from pantry cars or OBHS trains was not dumped in separate assigned dustbins,” the report stated.

It additionally discovered that non-compliance of the principles prescribed storage and labelling of hazardous waste in 102 models (out of 131 chosen) remained a possible menace for the setting and other people engaged in these models.

It was additionally essential of the railways for failing to make sure the fundamental situation of segregating bio-degradable and non-bio-gradable waste.

Facilities for administration of stable waste similar to moist waste processing, materials restoration facility, provision of composting plant, waste segregation and recycling centres weren’t supplied at 70 per cent of the stations and 90 per cent of teaching yards chosen for audit.

“Effluent Treatment Plants/Sewage Treatment Plants (ETP/STPs), though planned for commissioning in 19 major coaching depots and 40 workshops, were not commissioned as of March 2020. Slow progress in providing water recycling plant and automatic coach washing plant defeated the objectives envisaged in the Indian Railways Water Policy, 2017,” it stated.

The CAG additionally identified that the railways had failed to make sure the availability of secured rooms just about bio-medical waste guidelines for storage of bio-medical waste in 64 per cent check checked hospitals.

Further, within the absence of requisite gear for treating bio-medical waste, 15 hospitals managed waste disposal departmentally endangering the security of public well being, it added.

NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has criticised the railways over its waste administration system in virtually all sectors from stations, teaching depots, upkeep and manufacturing models in addition to bio-medical waste generated in its hospitals.

The CAG report on Waste Management in Indian Railways was offered in Parliament on Monday.

It additionally identified that there isn’t any single physique or company within the Indian Railways solely chargeable for dealing with waste management-related points, including that there isn’t any system of devoted fund allocation particularly for waste administration.

“Despite an assurance to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for setting up Engineering and Health Management directorate at the zonal and at the divisional level, compliance by the Indian Railways (IR) was partial.”

“Accountable entities at the railway stations, divisions and at the zonal level were not constituted in 38. 60 per cent of the stations test checked. In 59 stations out of 109 selected for audit, directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for obtaining Consent to Establish (CTEs) from related State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) were not complied with (as of 31 July 2021),” the report acknowledged.

The report additionally stated the nationwide transporter failed to completely adjust to directives of the NGT for implementing 24 verifiable indicators for monitoring of waste administration at 36 main stations.

In 65 different main stations chosen, the progress on implementation of verifiable indicators was not encouraging, it stated.

“Segregated waste collected from pantry cars and trains with on board housekeeping services (OBHS) was not unloaded in secured bags in 45 per cent test checked stations. In 86 per cent test checked stations, waste collected from pantry cars or OBHS trains was not dumped in separate assigned dustbins,” the report stated.

It additionally discovered that non-compliance of the principles prescribed storage and labelling of hazardous waste in 102 models (out of 131 chosen) remained a possible menace for the setting and other people engaged in these models.

It was additionally essential of the railways for failing to make sure the fundamental situation of segregating bio-degradable and non-bio-gradable waste.

Facilities for administration of stable waste similar to moist waste processing, materials restoration facility, provision of composting plant, waste segregation and recycling centres weren’t supplied at 70 per cent of the stations and 90 per cent of teaching yards chosen for audit.

“Effluent Treatment Plants/Sewage Treatment Plants (ETP/STPs), though planned for commissioning in 19 major coaching depots and 40 workshops, were not commissioned as of March 2020. Slow progress in providing water recycling plant and automatic coach washing plant defeated the objectives envisaged in the Indian Railways Water Policy, 2017,” it stated.

The CAG additionally identified that the railways had failed to make sure the availability of secured rooms just about bio-medical waste guidelines for storage of bio-medical waste in 64 per cent check checked hospitals.

Further, within the absence of requisite gear for treating bio-medical waste, 15 hospitals managed waste disposal departmentally endangering the security of public well being, it added.