Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu asks India Inc to adopt bio-toilets at stations

New Delhi: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today pitched for adopting bio-toilets and asked the industry to come forward to maintain them at railway stations.

Prabhu was speaking at the ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards and India Sanitation Conclave, jointly organised by FICCI and India Sanitation Coalition (ISC).

The minister said industry should apply their business minds to develop water-less, odour-less and vacuum toilets to further the Swachch Bharat Mission.

Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan initiated at the behest of the prime minister is progressing speedily with state governments vying with one-another to achieve an open defecation free (ODF) status, he said.

Hindustan Unilever CEO Sanjiv Mehta said India needs to create awareness on sanitation, besides building infrastructure. Mehta said HUL recently built a first-of-its-kind urban water, hygiene and sanitation community centre in Azad Nagar, Ghatkopar, one of the largest slums in Mumbai.

The centre, named Suvidha, provides toilets, hand washing facilities with soap, clean showers, safe drinking water and laundry operations at an affordable cost. The government's aim to achieve the Swachch Bharat mission by October 2, 2019 cannot be accomplished in isolation, Mehta said.

"It is imperative for all stakeholders to join hands and build partnerships to create a positive impact," he added.