The South East Central Railway (SECR) will be getting a comprehensive Energy Audit done for its Wagon Repair Shop (WRS) in Raipur.
It may be recalled that SECR has also proposed to construct a multi-storey energy efficient building to house the office of the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) in its headquarters in Bilaspur. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 23.16 lakhs, officials stated.
The SECR headquarters in Bilaspur is already being turned into a ‘green building’.
A major move is underway to adopt use of solar power as renewal source of electrical energy especially in SECR’s office buildings, officials stated.
As a pilot project, the roof-top of the General Manager’s Office Building is to be utilised for provision of solar panels and taking this first step for converting the SECR Zonal Headquarters into a 'green building'.
Continuing its effort to promote the use of renewable energy, the SECR Raipur division has also installed solar panels at level-crossings existing in remote pockets of the division.
Under this move, the Railways has initially equipped as many as nine cottages of manned level-crossing with solar panels and its extension will be carried out shortly, said Public Relation Officer (PRO) Raipur Division Ratan Basak, adding that several administrative buildings and offices of Railways under the division are already equipped with solar panels.
Basak further stated that power generated by the solar panels has brought down the power consumption at these level-crossings by upto 60 percent. The power generated by these solar panels are being utilised for lighting, phone recharging and others purpose. The estimated cost of installing solar panels at level crossing is around Rs 20000 and it generates around 150 units of electricity. With minimum maintenance, these solar panels last for several years ranging for 15 to 20 years.
The SECR Raipur Division has also achieved energy conservation targets by distributing light Emitting Diode (lED) bulbs in 70 days.
Interestingly, on October 14 the target was assigned to distribute 60,000 lED bulbs among the officers and staff of the division within a period of one year.
Instead, of a year, the division has successfully completed the target in 70 days due to the overwhelming response of the employees.
Notably, SECR Raipur division in association with Union Ministry of Power and Energy Efficiency Services limited (EESl) had started distributing lED bulbs among Railway employees on October 14 last year. The lED bulbs were distributed by Raipur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rahul Gautam in the presence of Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) Vivek Khare, representatives of EESl Ved Prakash and other officials at the DRM office.
Highlighting the benefits of using lED light bulbs, Ved Prakash said lED light saves consumption of around 80 percent electricity and is also an eco-friendly option.
According to sources, Raipur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rahul Gautam has appealed his employees to use lED bulbs at home and office since it saves consumption of 80 percent electricity and is also eco-friendly. Fixing a reasonable cost for the employees, the Raipur Railway Division is offering the lED bulb at Rs 100.
The effort is being made by the Railways in association with Union Ministry of Power and Energy Efficiency Services limited (EESl).