Alarmed by findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on E-coli contamination in drinking water at railway stations, the Railway Ministry has launched a nationwide cleanliness drive to disinfect water tanks and filtration systems and ensure safe drinking water for passengers.As part of the drive, the Zonal Railways will conduct detailed inspections of water sources, treatment and filtration plants, underground and overhead tanks, PVC tanks, water booths, taps and other drinking-water dispensing points. The exercise will also identify deficiencies requiring immediate corrective action.Damaged tanks, pipelines and filters will be repaired or replaced as required. The Railways will also ensure that there are no cross-connections between potable and non-potable water systems. All pipes forming part of the drinking-water network will be checked for leaks, with necessary corrective measures taken to prevent contamination and water wastage, an official statement said.Special attention will be given to locations where hand pumps and borewells are used to source drinking water. Zonal Railways has been directed to ensure that water drawn from these sources remains free from contamination and is safe for consumption.As part of the broader action plan, the Railway Board has also advised Zonal Railways to undertake comprehensive inspections of water coolers and water purification systems. Cooler tanks will be thoroughly cleaned, while leakages in coolers, pipelines and taps will be addressed promptly. Authorities have also been directed to ensure complete hygiene around water-cooler dispensing areas.Officials will conduct physical, chemical and bacteriological tests of water samples from identified locations, including water sources, post-treatment outlets, tanks, coolers, vending machines and representative taps or booths, wherever feasible.Daily monitoring of residual chlorine levels will also be carried out. Immediate re-chlorination or other corrective measures will be undertaken wherever chlorine levels are found to be inadequate.Notably, a CAG audit has flagged serious lapses in drinking-water quality management at railway stations, including inadequate testing, irregular inspections and the presence of E-coli and other harmful bacteria in water samples.The audit found that inspections of water-supply systems were not conducted at the prescribed intervals, while there were significant shortfalls in testing for residual chlorine, bacteriological contamination and chemical parameters. Instances of both low and high chlorine levels, along with the presence of total coliforms, including E-coli, pointed to unsatisfactory drinking-water quality at several stations.Water samples from coolers tested positive for E-coli at eight stations — Coimbatore and Palakkad Junction in Southern Railway, Hyderabad in South Central Railway, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala in Central Railway, and Madhupur in Eastern Railway.The CAG also found that bacteriological analysis of drinking water was not conducted at 59 stations across six railway zones. Further, tests of drinking-water samples collected from platform taps found total coliform bacteria, including E-coli, at 49 stations across eight zones in 2022-23 and 56 stations across nine zones in 2023-24.