Secunderabad station in the running for “Platinum” status

Secunderabad: Riding high on achieving the country’s first green tag for the cleanest and eco-friendly Mass Rapid Transit System, the officials of Secunderabad Railway Station are upping their ante to clinch the platinum status in the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) rankings this year.

Highlights:

• An extensive green action plan is being implemented by the railway station authorities.
• Presently, the station complex houses nearly 408 species of flora which occupies near to 55 per cent of the vast lands that surround it
• Yet the stench from the railway coaches and the absence of spittoons in the station premises is causing inconvenience to the public

From providing quality services to the commuters to maintaining hygiene levels on the platforms, from expanding the green cover around the railway station premises to promoting healthy habits in people, authorities are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a clean and green station environment for the passengers. An extensive green action plan is being implemented by the railway station authorities for the same.

As a part of the eco-friendly drive, officials of the Secunderabad railway station have replaced the old lights on the platforms and at other facilities with LED lighting systems along with upgrading the fans and air conditioners to five-star rated ones making a considerable difference in the power consumed monthly.

Nearly 41.2% of the railway station today functions on solar power from grids installed above the platforms, thereby promoting non-polluting sources of electricity. Solar water heaters installed in the dormitories and other facilities of the station has a capacity to heat up almost 5900 liters of waters every day.

Moreover, the railway station also comprises charging points for electricity driven vehicles and encourages people to ride bicycles instead of fuel driven vehicles by allocating spread stands for cycles.

“We have also installed several rain water harvesting pits at various places of the station including those near the track to recharge our ground water levels. Even the waste water left after washing the train compartments or the platforms are recycled through a waste water plant in the station premises whose capacity extends up to 2 lakh litres of water each day.

It is this water that is again used to irrigate the green patches around the station building. We are doing all we can to completely utilize even the littlest resources we have in the best possible way” explains P B N Prasad, Station Superintendent, Secunderabad Railway Station.

Fostering a green environment in and around the station premises, the officials have also planned to grow ornamental plants on the rooftops of the platforms adding not just to the beauty of the station but also increasing the oxygen levels in the railway station. One would be astonished to know that the station complex houses nearly 408 species of flora which occupies near to 55 per cent of the vast lands that surround it.

Apart from judiciously using the natural resources, the station officials are also taking unique steps in tackling suffocation at crowded facilities like the waiting rooms, lounges etc by replacing the opaque doors and windows with glass ones that can allow fresh air inside.

Advanced mechanisms like the carbon dioxide meters which have been fitted in every waiting hall of the railway station automatically open up the ventilators in the room once its readings touch the 700 parts-per-million mark, ensuring that no passenger feels choked.

For a public space that plays host to almost 1.6 lakh passengers every day, monitoring the hygiene levels at its various facilities is a big challenge. Hence, the railway officials have hired over 172 contractual workers who work in three shifts every day to keep the station premises clean. Aided by 41 cleaning machines, the workers work relentlessly to maintain the platforms, rooms, foot over bridges etc dirt free and hygienic for public use.

“Segregated waste disposal is put into implementation at all platforms of the railway stations. We also sensitise people by interacting with them and distributing pamphlets to ensure that they discard the waste accordingly. It is happy to see that nearly 30% of the passengers today separately dispose their garbage into the two bins we have arranged.

Since plastic can be recycled, we have installed a bottle crusher on the first platform and aim to install more of them on all the platforms.” informs Prasad. He adds that ticketless travel counters in the station reduce the wastage of paper.

Moreover, the officials have also undertaken a beautification drive within the station premises to please the passengers. Showcasing the native Telangana Cheriyal artform, the station authorities have beautifully decorated a wall on the Platform no: 10 and aim to identify three more spots to promote the state’s rich culture.

Yet the stench from the railway coaches and the absence of spittoons in the station premises is causing inconvenience to the public.