A brilliant initiative is taken by Indian Railways in rainwater preservation. The South Central Railways has installed ‘Ulta Chata’ or ‘inverted umbrella’ canopies in the circulating area of the Guntakal railways. This is one of the most innovative moves in recent times to preserve rainwater. As per the recent press release by SCR zone, the inverted canopy is a step towards the greener Indian Railways, an initiative by the Railway Ministry. The installed canopies are also used to harness solar renewable energy apart from several other applications such as mobile and laptop charging, seating arrangements, etc. The Guntakal station lies in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the Guntakal railway division of the SCR zone.
Six ‘Ulta Chatas’ which are canopies in the shape of inverted umbrellas have been installed with solar panels on top in the Guntakal railway station. Listed below are the features and uses of the inverted umbrella canopies:
- The base design of these canopies is that of an umbrella which is used to protect ourselves from rain. The canopy is also called ‘Model 1080’ due to its geometrical angles as well as internal structure.
- The product has been manufactured and supplied by THINK PIE Sustainable Lab Private Limited to the SCR zone and according to the company, this particular product is the world’s very first integrated plug and play system combining clean water, shading as well as lighting.
- The size of each of these canopies is 5mx5m with a weight of around 120 kgs. The total cost to install these six inverted umbrella canopies at the Guntakal station is approximately Rs 14 lakh.
- The shape of these canopies is square and has a stainless tube at the centre comprising of 40 watt effective LED lamps. These canopies have been installed towards the exit of the station and along the walking path in the circulating area.
- The entire structure stands on a single centre mass which is helpful in having different sizes according to the requirement. Since the canopy is a standalone structure with solar energy generation, electrical supply and cabling are not required for the same.
- A 2,000-micron PVDF coated membrane top mesh is present in the structure, which reduces any larger organic matter and an internal filter system is also present, which reduces any suspended solids.
Here are the few uses and benefits of these canopies:
- A maximum of 60,000 litres is estimated to be the annual rainwater collection by each of the canopies.
- The rainwater collected in the canopies can be transferred to the water tanks for proper conservation. The underground plumbing network of the canopy connects to the outlet which allows the groundwater recharge or storage in the existing tanks.
- These canopies can withstand wind tolerance of 140 kmph and any excess energy can be plugged into the grid of the system.
- These canopies also include solar modules, battery backup for the lighting and a mobile charger. For the convenience of the passengers, seating arrangements can also be done under these umbrellas.