Petition filed in Supreme Court to set timeline for improving facilities at railway stations

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking time-bound measures to improve basic amenities for passengers at railway stations. According to a report by India Today, the petition requests the Central Government and other concerned authorities to ensure minimum essential facilities, including pure drinking water, functional toilets, proper waste management, cleanliness, and medical facilities available during emergencies.

According to the Supreme Court's cause list for November 16, the petition will be heard by a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohanan. The petition demands that all sources of drinking water for passengers at railway stations be subjected to comprehensive and periodic testing as per prescribed standards.

A specific prayer has been made in the petition that the respondents be ordered to test drinking water sources for E. coli, total coliforms, and other bacteriological as well as chemical parameters. Furthermore, it is requested that sources found to be unsafe or contaminated be closed immediately, and safe alternative drinking water be provided until rectification and certification are obtained.

According to a PTI report, the petition refers to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) presented in Parliament in August. This report expressed concern over the presence of E. coli bacteria in water coolers at several stations and the unsanitary condition of toilets. The petition demands that the applicable recommendations of the CAG report be implemented within a specific timeline through station-wise corrective measures and a transparent monitoring mechanism.

The petition further states that if there is a failure, negligence, or unnecessary delay in removing deficiencies within the stipulated timeline, the accountability of the concerned officials should be fixed and appropriate action taken under the law. Until the disposal of the petition, immediate measures have been sought for deficiencies directly affecting the health and safety of passengers, particularly unsafe drinking water, sanitation, cleanliness, toilets, waste management, and emergency medical preparedness.

In short, the petition requests the Supreme Court to direct the authorities to rectify deficiencies at railway stations within a fixed timeline, conduct regular testing of drinking water, and fix accountability for any delays.