Self-propelled railway track scavenging vehicle may soon replace manual scavenging at railway tracks

A self-propelled railway track scavenging vehicle is set to replace manual scavenging on railway tracks soon, the Ministry of Science and Technology has said on April 5.

According to a statement, Dr. Sharad K. Pradhan, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTR), Bhopal, has developed a Multifunctional Railway Track Scavenging Vehicle.

This vehicle is equipped with dry and wet suction systems, air and water spraying nozzles, control system, and road cum rail attachment that will only require one other person along with a driver to carry out automatic cleaning of railway tracks.

"Despite the ban on manual scavenging since 1993 in our country, men and women are seen removing excreta on the tracks with brooms and metal plates," the Ministry said.

Describing the manual scavenging process, it explained that once the garbage is picked up from the tracks, night soil, excessive dirt, oil, and other foreign materials are ineffectively cleaned with high-pressure water jets.

How does it work?

With this device, once the dry and wet suction is complete, the water nozzles start spraying water jets to clear off any human waste or semi-solid garbage present on the track floor.

These water jets will also completely remove human waste and other wet garbage from the interrail space zone.

"Both dry and wet garbage is collected in different tanks, and once filled, it can be decanted at an appropriate local municipal garbage collection point," the Ministry said.

It is also equipped with a telescoping suction pipe that can easily be placed at appropriate position in the side trench to suck the sewage slurry.

As this device will be equipped for both railway and road, it can be used as a material/ garbage transport vehicle from track to the road by the Indian Railways.