Cleaning in Trains, a suggestion

Now, onboard cleaning scheme for trains
Kumar Rajesh, TNN 13 December 2009,

BHAGALPUR: Train passengers, vexed with unhygienic conditions in railway coaches and toilets of long distance trains, can heave a sigh of relief now, courtesy onboard cleaning scheme being introduced by railways in the trains on Kiul-Bhagalpur-Malda railway section under Malda division.

Onboard cleaning scheme is being introduced for the first time in long-distance trains running under this railway section from December 14. The onboard cleaning and maintenance scheme has been outsourced to a private operator.
It may be noted that passengers of long distance trains have to face difficult times due to unhygienic conditions inside trains. Dirty toilets and compartments notwithstanding, the passengers always complain about swarm of cockroaches on train berths and inside coach besides rats.

Keeping in view the ever-increasing discontent among passengers, the railways devised the onboard cleaning scheme, said a railway official preferring anonymity.

Railway sources said initially the onboard scheme would be launched in Vikramshila Express (annual cost Rs 1.33 crore approximately), Farraka-New Delhi Express (Rs 1.62 crore), Bhagalpur-Lokmanya Tilak (Rs 66 lakh) and Bhagalpur-New Delhi Weekly Express (Rs 14.50 lakh) trains.

The total cost of onboard cleanliness scheme on the four trains would be nearly Rs 3.75 crore, said railway sources adding five cleaning and maintenance staff would be on board the trains, cleaning the coaches and toilets at regular intervals. Passengers would also be asked to enter their opinion in the book provided especially for the cleanliness drive on trains, said the railway officials adding that payment to the outsourced agency would depend on the passengers’ remarks entered in the book.

Lauding this efforts of railways, president of Eastern Bihar Industries Association (EBIA) Mukutdhari Agarwal said it was long needed as long distance passengers have to travel under unhygienic conditions.

It is not often that I can praise our government's departments. But the above decison of the railways is worth praising.
Those of you living in the West may not understand what there is to praise since the toilets in trains there are clean. Well, you have to see our train toilets to know what I mean.
Let us hope now we have better time in the bogs in trains.
I have one for suggestion.
Many passengers may have had the mortification of their wallets or keys or cell phones slip out of their pockets and disappear down the toilet.
My younger brother lost his cell phone, this way.
Recently, we had the incident of a woman giving child birth in the toilet and the child fell through the toilet.
The train had not picked up speed and hence the woman jumped off the running train. Fortunately, the train was stopped and when the woman and her husband ran back to retrieve the child (a boy), they found him safe.
Can't the railways design a catcher at the base of the toilet pipe, coated with teflon which can be opened only when we flush. The teflon would not allow anything to stick to the catcher and would prevent the type of accidents mentioned above.