Indian Railways to adopt artificial intelligence system to ensure hygienic food for passengers onboard

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways has adopted artificial intelligence system to ensure hygienic food for passengers onboard. The Railways authority has installed as many as CCTV cameras at 16 of its base kitchens in order to track real-time cooking and packaging of meals. The CCTV cameras will be monitored from IRCTC's headquarters based in New Delhi.

The Union Ministry of Railways took to Twitter announcing the adoption of the artificial intelligence system. "All 16 base kitchens of IRCTC have been installed with high definition cc cameras with announcement facility from the central control. This would enable closer monitoring of good preparation in proper conditions.  Soon zones of IRCTC shall also have similar kitchen controls," the Union Ministry of Railways tweeted.

Member of Railway Board's Traffic Department, Mohd Jamshed visited the first surveillance oriented intelligent kitchen control room of IRCTC set up in the Capital for effective and live monitoring of base kitchens located across the country.

MT M.Jamshed visited the first surveillance oriented Intelligent kitchen control room of IRCTC set up in a New Delhi for effective and live monitoring of Base Kitchens located around The country. pic.twitter.com/1uX0RqZsws

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) May 8, 2018

The development comes months after a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audit report labelled food served in trains run by Indian Railways as 'unsuitable' for human consumption.

This is how the artificial intelligence system will function:

The Artificial Intelligence enabled system is capable of detecting various deficiencies pertaining to hygiene, Uniform, head gear and cleanliness schedules etc in the base kitchens.

In July 2017, the CAG released a report terming the food sold at railway stations is 'unfit for human consumption' and had added that the hygiene standards at railway catering units are below par, has said in a scathing report.

The CAG performance audit had found unpurified tap water being used to make beverages, uncovered and unwashed waste bins, food left out in the open, and rats and cockroaches at catering units in trains and stations.

The report was prepared after inspections at 74 stations and 80 trains, covering the period from 2013 to 2016 and issues of earlier years which could not be reported earlier.