Maligaon, June 05: Like every earlier year, World Environment Day was celebrated throughout NFR in a befitting manner today. Along with NFR HQ at Maligaon, the day was also observed at all the five divisions of NFR spreading in different states.
At Maligaon GM and NFR Mr Sanjive Roy planted tree saplings. Other senior officials also joined him in planting saplings. A seminar was also held at NFR HQ where all senior officials from various department participated and a souvenir was also released.
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5, annually since 1974 to encourage awareness and environmental protection. There is an urgent need for us to our environment for our survival.
As the country fights the COVID-19 pandemic among other environmental disasters including cyclones, earthquakes, and floods, it is now more important than ever that everyone needs to come together to support environmental initiatives.
The NFR is also trying to fulfill its role by protecting the environment in various ways. In the NFR area at Maligaon, a “Solid Waste Management” plant (incinerator) has been installed last February, where solid waste collected from Guwahati and Kamakhya station areas, railway colonies, New Guwahati Diesel Loco shed, etc are disposed.
The incinerator has the capacity of handling 150 kgs of solid waste per hour to heat about 900 lts of water every hour. The hot water thus produced is used for washing linens in mechanized laundry thus saving about 40 lts of diesel in per ton of linen washed.
The Bio-Digester Plants are also in use in various locations like Guwahati, Kamakhya and Rangiya stations and the Maligaon railway colony, where wet bio-wastes collected are converted into manure and being used in gardening and plantation in railway land. About 500 kgs of bio-wastes convert into 80 kg manure in about 15 days cycle.
A biogas plant is also under construction at the Central Hospital, Maligaon with a capacity to produce 18 Cum of biogas daily. Once completed biogas thus produced will be used for cooking at the hospital thereby saving on LPG consumption.
Moreover, for water conservation, Quick Watering System has already been installed in Guwahati, New Jalpaiguri, and Lumding stations. Work is in progress in 7 more stations under NFR like Katihar, New Cooch Behar, Alipurduar Jn, New Bongaigaon, Rangapara, Mariani, and Badarpur.
This system has app-based remote control and spillage of water could be eliminated and watering of the entire train can be done in just 10 mts. By using a mechanized coach cleaning system for cleaning the exterior, interior, and toilets in all depots over NFR, saving of about 2 million lts of water per month is being achieved.
Effluent treatment plants are also coming up at Katihar, Kamakhya, Guwahati and Agartala stations where wastewater will be recycled for further use. Automatic coach washing plants are also coming up at the pit lines located in Agartala, Silchar, Naharlagun, Dibrugarh, Alipurduar Jn, Siliguri jn, New Jalpaiguri and Katihar. Once commissioned, there will be a reduction in water consumption, and 75 – 80% of water can be recycled and reused.
The NFR has also planted 745931 plants on railway land last year. 20 nurseries have been developed spreading over all the five divisions of NFR. All the lights of railway colonies and stations have already been converted into LED thereby saving energy and reducing carbon emission.
