Transport behemoth revives old wells, quenches summer thirst

The Indian Railways effort to revive 1500 water bodies on its premises has got a boost as four restored wells in Hyderabad division have started yielding 4.70 lakh litres per day, promising a saving of over Rs 22 lakh per month.
Looking beyond the tracks, the transport behemoth has been working on the revival of water bodies located on its premises and along the tracks across the country.
There are 1,561 water bodies in the form of ponds, dams, reservoirs, wells and step wells existing on rail land, according to the latest data prepared by railways.
While some ponds, wells and step wells have completely dried up, many water bodies are partly dried up and not in use.

Implementation of the revival plan is underway as part of the water policy of railways to revive and conserve water bodies on rail land, said a senior Railway Ministry official responsible for the water conservation plan.
Going ahead with the plan, four unused wells in Hyderabad division of South Central zone have been revived with expert help.

Total yield from these revived wells is about 4.70 lakh litres per day and the division is expected to save Rs 22.80 lakh per month.
All zones have been asked to undertake similar measures to revive water bodies, said the official.
Emphasising on revival and protection of water bodies, railways have carved out a separate directorate to execute the water conservation plan in a focused way.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has given instructions to all zones, divisions, production units, workshops and RPF to revive and conserve water bodies in their respective areas and also carry out regular water audits to reduce water consumption substantially.
The maximum water bodies are located in the Sealdah division followed by Kharagpur, Howrah, Moradabad and Agra, as per the railways' data.