Indian Railways plans to use technology to solve one of its ‘biggest’ problems

Indian Railways tech

Over the last few years, Indian Railways has taken many significant steps in modernisation of trains, stations and more. Yet, there’s one thing that continues to plague people travelling on the train — smelly and dirty toilets. According to a report by The Economic Times, Indian Railways plans to turn to technology to solve the problem. Many complaints have routinely been raised by passengers travelling on trains.

According to the report, the Railways Board has floated the idea of testing IoT-based technology. The technology will be used to smell foul odour through detectors. The report also notes that Mumbai-based startup Viliso Technologies has been selected for the project. It is a test project for now, which will be implemented in certain coaches.

How will the technology work?

There are smart systems that use sensors to identify foul smells that reek up the toilets. The sensors are capable of picking up volatile compounds and molecules in the air. The data is then transmitted to a central hub. The hub analyses the information and can trigger automated responses. For example, it might alert sanitation crews about foul smells and notify them cleaning is required. . This real-time monitoring allows for quicker intervention and improved odour control.

According to Viliso Technologies’ website, the startup has a few IoT-based products that help in better sanitation. For instance, there’s Gandhvedh, an IoT-based electronic device that monitors Odour, Total Volatile Organic Compound (TVOC), Temperature and Humidity. The device is fitted in the toilet where the odour monitoring is required, notes the product description on the official website. “The device then sends the odour data to mobile app & web app which are used by the caretaker or monitoring authority responsible for sanitation of the toilet,” says the company about the product.

It’s not clear if this is the product, which Indian Railways plans to use in trains and stations’ toilets.

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