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CAG report stirs in railways: Center orders corrective measures, action will be taken if dirty toilets are found at stations

Samira Vishwas | August 17, 2026 9:24 AM CST

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has stated that the Ministry of Railways had laid down several rules for passenger amenities at stations. However, various zones failed to comply. This resulted in widespread disruptions in services, including E-coli bacteria found in drinking water and unsanitary toilets.
Following the CAG report, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Sunday ordered immediate steps to ensure clean drinking water at railway stations across the country.
According to a release issued by the Railway Ministry on Sunday, Vaishnav reviewed the issue with senior officials throughout the day and ordered several measures including installing a water purification system, replacing water tanks and checking water quality regularly. Earlier, the CAG in its report tabled in Parliament on August 12 said that bacterial analysis of drinking water at 59 stations in six zones was not done.
After studying the passenger services at 512 stations in all zones, the CAG said that two stations of the Southern Railway (Coimbatore and Palakkad Junction), one station of the South Central Railway (Hyderabad), four stations of the Central Railway (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala) and one station of the Eastern Railway (Madhupur) E-coli samples were found in the water samples taken from the cooler
The report said that major stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Howrah, Sealdah, New Delhi and Mumbai Central also lacked seating arrangements, sanitation facilities (urinals and toilets), dustbins and electronic train indicator boards.
Inspections at major stations also revealed deficiencies in passenger amenities, including drinking water (12 stations), fans and water coolers (eight stations), and signage (five stations). Explaining the purpose of the detailed inspection, the CAG said that the Railway Board had issued various guidelines for passenger facilities at stations. The audit was conducted to assess whether these guidelines have had the desired effect.