The quantum of water used every week by CR and WR to wash their trains matches a day’s supply to Navi Mumbai or Kalyan-Dombivli. Now that Mumbai grapples for every drop of water and with electricity tariffs rising steadily, the railways and state government are scouting for cheaper options.
Plans are afoot to source cheaper power from within or outside Maharashtra, making the services efficient by upgrading signalling and wiring systems, and going in for eco-friendly energy. The railway administration plans to reuse 75% of its water consumption by constructing recycling units at its washing facilities. “We may go in for power generation through renewable methods such as solar energy. The recycling project is likely to cost around Rs 70 crore,” sources in WR and the state government told TOI. The railway administration buys power (Rs 8 per unit) and water (Rs 50 per thousand litres) at commercial rates. “A study has been commissioned to check how power and water consumption could be reduced by adopting an energy audit, usage of LED lights, solar units and by installing recycling plants. Western Railway consumes electricity worth Rs 50 crore to light up its stations and offices,” said Shailendra Kumar, divisional railway manager (WR). Power expert Ashok Pendse said the Railways can buy electricity from private players in Maharashtra at cheaper rates.
“Tapping into solar electricity may be costly as it will take us some time to bring down the tariff of such power,” he said. Water conservation expert Sachin Warghade said stringent penal action for over-use and deciding strict scarcity levels by mentioning usage priority for consumers is the need of hour.