Warangal: To reduce power woes, solar panels have been installed in five railway stations in Warangal district to generate electricity. With this initiative, the railway department has set a model for other departments in saving electricity.
The installation of solar panels would be done in a phased manner. At present, panles have been used to operate the water pumps at Warangal, Kazipet, Station Ghanpur, Raghunathapalli and Jangaon railway stations.
At Kazipet railway station, power generated from the solar panels is being used for water pumps at five locations. The Kazipet Junction railway station is surrounded by railway colony, schools, colleges and many other divisional offices. The panels were installed in March.
Three panels were installed near the railway quarters, one at the railway English medium school and another one at the DSTE office. "The solar panels are helping us save power. The water pumps are of 5hp capacity and by using the electricity from the solar panels, we are able to save 4 units of power per hour.
The pumps need to run for 8 - 10 hours every day," said Rajanna Odiga, senior section engineer, Kazipet railway electricity maintenance department. The railway officials are encouraging their counterparts at all sations to go for solar panels.
