Railways Launches Nationwide Action Plan to Ensure Safe Drinking Water at Stations

Indian Railways has launched a major nationwide action plan to improve the availability, quality and monitoring of drinking water at railway stations following serious observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board and other senior officials, conducted a detailed review of drinking water arrangements and ordered immediate corrective measures.

The Railway Ministry has identified safe drinking water as a top priority and decided to strengthen the entire supply chain, from the source and storage tanks to water coolers and passenger outlets. The measures are aimed at addressing deficiencies highlighted in CAG Report No. 31 of 2026 on Passenger Amenities and Sanitation at Non-Suburban Railway Stations.

New “Tank to Tap” system at around 20,000 locations

One of the key measures announced by the Railways is the introduction of a comprehensive “Tank to Tap” water filtration, monitoring and quality-control system at approximately 20,000 locations across the railway network.

The system will cover water coolers and other passenger drinking-water points. The objective is to ensure that water supplied to passengers remains safe throughout the entire chain—from the point where it enters the railway system to its final delivery through taps and coolers.

The Railways will also undertake the replacement of water storage tanks wherever required. This is significant because the CAG audit had identified maintenance and cleanliness issues affecting water facilities at several stations.

CAG audit found widespread drinking-water deficiencies

The CAG audit covered 512 non-suburban railway stations and found widespread gaps in minimum essential passenger amenities, including drinking water.

According to the audit findings, drinking-water taps were deficient at 27% of the 512 stations examined. At four stations, taps had not been provided at all, while 134 stations had fewer taps than prescribed under railway norms. This resulted in a total shortfall at 138 stations.

The prescribed norms provide for 20 taps per platform at NSG-1 to NSG-4 stations, eight taps at NSG-5 stations and two taps at NSG-6 stations.

The audit also found that adequate drinking-water taps, particularly for general and second-class passengers, were unavailable at 188 stations, despite earlier assurances by the Railway Board.

Water coolers represented another major area of concern. The CAG found deficiencies in water coolers at 40% of the 512 audited stations, making it one of the most significant shortfalls among passenger amenities.

Overall, 458 out of the 512 stations—more than 89%—had deficiencies in one or more Minimum Essential Amenities (MEAs). Only 54 stations, or around 11%, were found without such shortfalls.

The audit noted that deficiencies were not restricted to smaller stations. Some major NSG-1 stations, including CSMT, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central, were also found to have gaps in drinking-water taps and water coolers.

Nationwide data shows scale of the challenge

The issue extends beyond the stations covered by the detailed CAG audit. Data from the Passenger Amenities Management System (PAMS), covering approximately 5,908 non-suburban stations as of February 2025, showed a shortfall in water taps at 2,035 stations.

The Railways’ latest action plan therefore seeks to move beyond individual repairs and establish a more systematic mechanism for ensuring water quality and availability across the network.

Focus on regular testing and centralized monitoring

Under the new measures, Railways will enforce regular water-quality testing at both source and outlet points.

The system will also introduce centralized monitoring and accountability, making it possible for authorities to track water-quality reports and corrective action more systematically.

Another key requirement will be scheduled cleaning and maintenance of storage tanks. Railway authorities will be expected to ensure that tanks are cleaned and maintained at prescribed intervals, reducing the possibility of contamination before water reaches passengers.

The Railway Board will directly monitor progress under the initiative. Water-quality reports and progress updates are also expected to be published periodically to improve transparency and accountability.

Maintenance failures also highlighted

The CAG findings pointed to significant maintenance problems affecting drinking-water facilities.

At the audited stations, 34 water coolers at 29 stations were found non-functional. In four cases, coolers had remained out of order for more than two years.

The audit also found that records relating to equipment outages and repair action were unavailable at 19 stations. Monthly cleaning of water coolers, as required under the Indian Railway Works Manual, was found deficient at 191 stations.

In some locations, physical conditions raised serious concerns. Instances of black sludge in cooler tanks were reported, including at Titlagarh station.

These findings underline the Railways’ decision to focus not only on installing new equipment but also on regular maintenance, cleaning, testing and accountability.

Water-quality concerns raise passenger safety issues

The CAG report also identified instances where water was not merely unavailable but potentially unsafe for consumption.

E. coli was detected in water-cooler samples at eight stations, including Coimbatore, Palakkad Junction, Hyderabad, CSMT, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan, Lonavala and Madhupur.

Total coliforms, including E. coli, were detected in platform tap samples at 49 stations during 2022-23 and 56 stations during 2023-24.

The audit also found instances where residual chlorine levels were outside the prescribed 0.2-0.5 ppm range.

Testing infrastructure and compliance were another concern. Bacteriological analysis had not been carried out at 59 stations, while chemical testing was irregular or missing at hundreds of locations. Multi-parameter testing kits were absent at 436 stations.

Railways moves towards end-to-end accountability

The latest action plan seeks to address these gaps through an end-to-end approach. Instead of treating drinking-water facilities simply as passenger amenities, the Railways is now focusing on the entire chain of supply, storage, treatment, testing, maintenance and distribution.

The proposed “Tank to Tap” system, replacement of ageing or unsuitable tanks, regular testing and centralized monitoring are intended to ensure that passengers receive safe drinking water consistently.

The CAG had recommended that Indian Railways achieve prescribed Minimum Essential Amenity norms for drinking-water taps and coolers at all stations within defined timelines. It also called for compliance with water-supply inspection protocols and comprehensive testing under the Uniform Drinking Water Quality Protocol.

The Railway Ministry’s response comes against the backdrop of these audit findings and forms part of a broader drive to address observations made by the CAG and improve passenger amenities.

With safe drinking water directly affecting millions of passengers every day, the success of the initiative will depend not only on installing filtration systems but also on sustained maintenance, regular testing, timely repairs and transparent reporting. The Railway Board’s decision to monitor the programme directly signals a shift towards tighter accountability for one of the most basic passenger facilities across the Indian Railways network.