Rainwater harvesting cuts freshwater use at Hwh stn
Times of India | 30 July 2024
Kolkata: In a step towards sustainability, Howrah station of Eastern Railway has implemented an innovative rainwater harvesting system. This has also stopped the use of freshwater for cleaning and washing purposes. The station manages to recharge around 7,300,000 litres of rainwater to groundwater annually (calculated as 20,000 litres per day over 365 days).
The station collects and reuses around 97,524.5 cubic meters of rainwater annually through this advanced system.The annual rainfall intensity is 164.9 mm.
A damaged PVC tank has been transformed into a recharge pit, which allows the rainwater to replenish groundwater. Eastern Railway now wants to replicate this model at other major railway stations, said Eastern Railway’s chief public relations officer, Kaushik Mitra.
Howrah station has a total roof area of 78,831.6 square meters. It has sheds and roofs covering over 90% of its total area. The remaining runoff rainwater, amounting to 90,224,540 litres per year, is directed to a settlement tank at the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP). After undergoing full treatment at the ETP, this water is reused for station washing, track cleaning, and apron washing. The success of Howrah station’s rainwater harvesting system highlights the potential for innovative environmental practices in urban infrastructure, paving the way for other stations and facilities to adopt similar measures, said Mitra. This reflects Eastern Railway’s dedication to environmental stewardship and operational efficiency.