Title - Central Railways launches slew of green projects

NAGPUR: The Nagpur division of Central Railways seems to be going the green way. It has launched a slew of environment-friendly initiatives like rainwater harvesting, recycling waste water and planting trees.After successful commissioning of a rainwater harvesting project at its electric loco shed at Ajni last year, the Central Railways here will take up a similar project at its Ajni colony. Besides, it is also on the verge of dedicating a waste water recycling plant to tide over water crisis.
All the projects are the brainchild of divisional railway manager (DRM) Brijesh Dixit. The rainwater harvesting facility at Ajni loco shed was launched last year and 30 lakh litres of water is being harvested annually from around 3,000 sq metre of roof area of the loco shed, said Sanjay Khare, senior divisional engineer (coordination)."The harvested water is then used to recharge an open well and a borewell," Khare said. He added that the success story of the harvester has given them confidence to repeat it at the Ajni railway colony. Here the project will be implemented in around 200 RB-II and RB-III quarters.In Ajni colony there are about 2,000 quarters spread in an area of 9 sq km. The new rainwater harvesting facility will cater to mostly multi-storied buildings. The railways is planning to recharge 13 lakh litre of groundwater annually by using harvested rain water.

The tender for the Rs5 lakh project has been finalized and work will start after two months. The project will be actually put to use only next year.

Ajni colony faces acute water crisis during summer and water is supplied through tankers. Many railway unions have been protesting the scarcity of water in the colonies for past many years. By utilizing the rain water harvesting facility officials hope to ease water crisis partially.

Apart from this, a water recycling plant is expected to be commissioned in Ajni colony next month. Work on the plant, which is being set up with the help of National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), is expected to be completed in 15 days.

The plant, costing Rs8 lakh, will recycle 30,000 litres of bathroom and kitchen wastewater per day. The recycled water will be then used for gardening and watering the cricket ground. The officials hope that the plant will thus help save precious drinking water.

The Central Railways has also launched a massive drive in the entire division to plant 20,000 trees. Till now over 12,000 trees like teak, neem, gulmohar and other species have been planted on railway land in Ajni, Ballarshah, Betul, Wardha, Katol, Narkhed, Sewagram, Amla and other stations.

"One of the reasons to take up plantations is to stop encroachments on railway lands," Khare said.