The TrickyScribe: Indian Railways is all set to set up 1,000 MW solar power plants by 2021. Railways plan to source close to 10% of its electrical requirements from renewables. Railways have about 71.19 MW of Solar plants already installed over rooftops at Railways stations and service buildings.
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Assessment and rating of Indian Railway’s Production Units and major Workshops as Green Industrial Units started with ‘GreenCo’ certification of two Workshops and one Production unit in FY16-17. Not less than 31 new workshops, four new production units, two diesel sheds, one store depot and two supervisors training centres have been ‘GreenCo’ certified. Eight Railway Stations, two Railway Schools and one Railway Hospital have also achieved Green Certification.
OTHER RENEWABLES
Wind energy plants of 36.5 MW have been installed out of which, 26 MW at Jaisalmer was installed in FY15-16. Blending of 5% bio-diesel in High Speed Diesel (HSD) for diesel locomotives was started in June, 2015. As many as 20% CNG substitution in diesel engines of 23 Diesel Power Cars of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains and the introduction of Solar energy based DEMUs.
LED LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE RAILWAY STATIONS
Electrified Railway stations (other than those under gauge conversion) and 99% of service buildings have been fitted with 100% LED luminaries over Indian Railways.
AFFORESTATION DRIVE
Tree plantation drive for increasing green cover in Railway Premises is also being chalked out. Track-side boundary plantation started in 2016. On Indian Railways, Rs 1.25 crores saplings were planted during 2016-17, Rs 88.96 lakh in 2017-18 and Rs 97.33 lakh during 2018-19 up to November last.
WATER MANAGEMENT
Towards better Water Management, Water Audits at major consumption centres as well as proliferation of Water Recycling Plants and Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) Systems are undertaken. Water Policy of Indian Railways was issued in March, 2017.
BIO-TOILETS IN PASSENGER COACHES
Pace of installation of environment friendly bio-toilets in passenger coaches has been increased. Nearly 163,000 bio-toilets have been installed in around 44,500 coaches, out of which more than 127,000 bio-toilets were installed in around 33,500 coaches since April, 2016.
ELECTRIFICATION TO BE STEPPED UP
Pace of electrification is stepped up! Altogether 30,212 Route Kilometers (RKM) of Indian Railways are electrified. Of which 5,733 RKM was executed in two years FY16-17 and FY17-18. Electrification work is in progress on 33,658 RKM. In 2016, a policy decision was taken for allocating 1% cost in all sanctioned works for execution of environment related works.
