South Western Railway observed World Environment Day on 05th June, 2022. on the occasion, Shri Sanjeev Kishore, GM/SWR launched ‘Water Self-sufficiency Project’ at Railway Golf Course, Hubballi and released ‘Sustainability Handbook 2022’ brought out by the Environment & Housekeeping Management wing of South Western Railway. The Handbook highlights the various green initiatives taken up by SWR to promote green environment and clean energy. Tree plantation programme was also done on the occasion.
The Water Self Sufficiency Project aims at conserving underground confined aquifer by sourcing water from three to be created open wells. It is planned to develop the Golf Links area incrementally as a water generating system with an objective that the complete water requirement of colony, Keshwapur colony, Golf Course is met by rain water and the water from the bore wells is not drawn for this purpose. Presently water from 4 borewells is being used to meet the water requirement of these colonies.
This initiative will minimize the usage of borewell water for watering the lawns and also facilitate recharging of the ground water from the surface runoff water. Further, it is planned to convert Keshwapur Colony and Golf Link Colony catchment area into a ‘Zero run off area’ by tapping full quantity of rainfall and recharge the ground water aquifer.
Shri Sanjeev Kishore, GM/SWR said that the theme of World Environment Day 2022 is ‘Only one Earth’. This is to highlight the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature by bringing transformative changes towards cleaner, greener lifestyles. He said that South Western Railway is fulfilling its obligation towards climate change goals and green environment by taking up initiatives in the areas of renewable energy generation, solid waste management, water management, energy conservation, renewal of water bodies, afforestation etc. He appreciated the efforts of Environment and Housekeeping Management (EnHM) wing of SWR.
He said that *solar panels have been installed at 120 stations over SWR till now and in the current financial year, it is targeted to install solar panels at 26 more stations.
*Record electrification of 511 Route kilometres has been done in South Western railway in last financial year and more and more trains are being operated on Electric traction.
*Restoration of water body at Devaragudihal has brought down the water requirement of Hubballi station and colonies.
*Steps towards waste is aggregation and management in railway colony taken up by South Western railway women’s Welfare Organization have been successful and generational composed was already started in railway colonies at Hubballi.
*Railway Establishments including Loco sheds and Workshops in South Western Railway are certified under relevant ISO standards.
Shri P.K. Mishra, Additional General Manager; Shri Arvind Malkhede, Divisional Railway Manager, Hubballi; Shri U. Subbarao, Chief Mechanical Engineer; Dr. Vandana Srivastava, President of SWRWWO; Shri Ajay Singh, Chief Mechanical Engineer-Environment & Housekeeping Management and other officers were present.
World Environment Day was also observed at Mysuru, Bengaluru and Hubballi Division too. Tree plantation programmes were organized on the occasion.