Chennai Central gets green building certification
Environment friendly measures being taken up at the station
S. Vishnu Sharma, INN/Chennai, @svs037
There is a happy news for the residents of Chennai on the railway front. Chennai Central railway station, one of the most important establishments in this big city has become the first one to get IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Green Building Certification.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) instituted IGBC Green Building Certifcation was awarded to Chennai Central at a function held on Saturday (September 15). C N Raghavendran, Chairman, IGBC Chennai Chapter presented IGBC plaque and certificate to R.K. Kulshrestha, General Manager, Southern Railway in the presence of Naveen Gulati, Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai Division.
The award was conferred keeping in view for incorporating some of the finest green building concepts at Chennai Central. Green Railway Stations rating is a tool to facilitate adoption of green concepts, thereby reducing the adverse environmental impacts due to station’s operation & maintenance.
The overarching principle of the rating is to enhance commuter’s experience. The rating system facilitates- energy efficiency improvements; use of renewable energy sources; water management and rain water harvesting, health, hygiene and sanitation, green cover and providing universal access.
Some of the green features implemented at Chennai Central Railway Station evaluated by the Indian Green Building Council are well-developed passenger amenities (pick up and drop points), seating, waiting hall, pay and use toilets, prepaid Ac waiting hall, AC dormitory, emergency medical care (stretchers, 24×7 doctor, nurse, e-shuttle vehicle inside station building, mobile charging points on every platform, elevators, trolley based luggage assistants, drinking water points.
Installing LED lighting fixtures completely, installation of BEE 5-star rated fans, fixing solar panels on exposed station roof area above new concourse to generate solar energy, establishing solar water heaters to meet hot water requirements, segregation of waste at source and facilitating recycling, establishing water recycling plant that has a capacity of 10 lakh litres per day), rainwater harvesting for recharging the local aquifer, providing smart passenger’s information systems and services at the station for convenient and comfortable commuting experience are other measures at Chennai Central that have helped in getting the certification.
C N Raghavendran congratulated team at Chennai Central Railway Station and underlined that the award of IGBC rating to the station will encourage other railway stations in the Country go the green way.
He said that, IGBC aspires to facilitate 10 billion sq.ft of green building footprint by 2022 and team Indian Railways will play a major role in achieving this vision and in the process facilitate in building a greener and healthier India. At present, IGBC is working with 40 other stations in Indian Railways for their certification.
