Railway saves every drop of water

Chennai: Putting to use the water generated in railway offices, officials have set up ways to not waste water but use them for greener premises. Plants on station premises at Tambaram, Basin Bridge and Chengalpettu are being watered in the sultry days using waste water generated in offices.

“Usually the plants are watered in the morning and the evening, which is not sufficient, given the usual temperature of the city. Also, instead of using available water for gardening, we direct the water from toilets to septic tanks and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) wells, where the waste gets settled, and water is cleaned, it is directed to plants roots,” said a senior Railways official.

“Sewage water from toilets is 95 per cent water and the remaining 5 per cent is solid waste, which can be removed and used for gardening,” he added.

The water is allowed to pass into a septic tank consisting 3-4 chambers having layers of sand and red earth. It is left there for a digestion period of three days, in which the floating waste gets disintegrated and solid waste settles down.

From here, the resulting water is passed into a Neeri well that contains materials that clean and biologically charge the waste water, before it is being led to roots of plants.

“I believe this is a very good initiative especially in a city that faces summer year long. It is good as it helps conserve water when there is a paucity of drinking water in so many places,” said Meera Chandran, manager of human resources at an IT firm.

“Currently water from offices on the three floors at Tambaram railway station is
being used. Plans are on to bring this measure to other stations too, the railway official added.