Hyderabad: Passenger amenities at some of the busiest railway stations under South Central Railway (SCR) fell short of prescribed standards, with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) flagging deficiencies in drinking water, toilets, signage and other basic facilities at Nampally, Secunderabad and Kacheguda stations.For instance, at Nampally, the audit identified shortfalls in drinking water taps and urinals. The station also figured among those with inadequate signage.The findings are part of a CAG audit of passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations. The audit, covering 512 stations across 16 railway zones, found that 458 stations, or more than 89%, had deficiencies in at least one minimum essential amenity (MEA). The mandatory MEAs were supposed to be provided at all railway stations by Aug 2018.The deficiencies extend to other major Hyderabad-area terminals. Secunderabad, one of SCR’s highest-earning stations, was found to have deficiencies in water coolers, dustbins and signage. It was also among 10 high-revenue, high-footfall stations across the country that did not fully meet MEA norms. CAG recorded annual earnings of about Rs 1,147 crore and passenger footfall of 2.69 crore for Secunderabad in the data examined, with water coolers and dustbins among the facilities found deficient.Across SCR, the audit found that seven stations had deficient drinking-water taps, eight had inadequate water taps overall against the prescribed requirement, and 20 stations did not provide dustbins as per norms. The zone also figured among those where deficiencies in platform shelters and other passenger facilities persisted.The audit also raises a more serious concern over drinking-water safety at Hyderabad station. A water sample from a water cooler at Nampally station tested positive for E. coli, according to railway laboratory test results cited by CAG. The audit also found that bacteriological testing was not carried out at several stations and that testing of drinking water was not always conducted at the prescribed frequency.Railways plans ‘tank-to-tap’ overhaulFollowing the CAG’s findings on drinking-water quality, the Railways has decided to install new ‘tank-to-tap’ water filtration systems at 20,000 locations, including water coolers, along with a comprehensive water filtration and monitoring system.The railways has also proposed replacing water tanks and ensuring regular quality testing at both source and outlet points. The measures include centralised monitoring, greater accountability, scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks, and periodic publication of water-quality and progress reports.“The issue will be treated as a priority and monitored at the Railway Board level as part of a broader effort to address the CAG’s observations and improve passenger amenities,” said a senior official in SCR.Higher sanitation spending, but gaps persistThe problem was not confined to the provision of facilities but also their upkeep. CAG found unhygienic toilets or urinals at four SCR stations, while two SCR stations had water shortages in one or more toilet taps. Five stations in the zone, had unclean toilet seats, and 15 stations lacked complaint/suggestion registers in toilet blocks. Receipts for user charges collected at toilets were not issued at 13 stations, while ‘no-smoking’ boards were absent in toilet blocks at 29 stations.The audit also found a gap between expenditure and outcomes. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, SCR was among the eight zones where expenditure on station sanitation exceeded the budget grant.
