Indian Express 02.06.2010
Avoid washing coaches with drinking water: CM
Express News Service Tags : don't waste drinking water, mumbai Posted: Wed Jun 02 2010, 23:24 hrs
Chavan, during a visit to the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), was talking particularly in reference to the Virar car shed to be commissioned by year-end.
He said the railways should avoid using drinking water to wash trains. Sources said Chavan also spoke to Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) officials regarding drinking water being used for washing.
“Looking at the scarcity, the Chief Minister told us to look at alternatives. He suggested us to dig borewells, undertake rainwater harvesting and if possible set up a desalination plant,” said Pramod Chander Sehgal, managing director of MRVC. “We would take steps accordingly and dig borewells.”
The Virar shed is estimated to use 3.5 lakh litres of water per day. The nearby Vasai-Virar and Nalasopara areas have been facing water shortage and to solve the problem, the state government has plans to bring water to these areas from Surya dam.
The water provided by the state government and used by to wash rakes is mostly meant for drinking. “The state government had earlier hinted about it and we are acting accordingly. At Mumbai Central and Bandra, we are cleaning rakes with jet-pipes to conserve water. We also intend to dig borewells,” said WR chief spokesperson Shyam Sunder Gupta.
Reviewing Phase I and II of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), Chavan stressed speeding up the fifth and sixth lines, between Thane and Diva and Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus respectively and also starting a line between Virar, Kalyan and Panvel for better connectivity of the eastern, western and the harbour line corridors as growth centres have been planned there. The state government is also keen on extending the harbour line from Goregaon to Borivali in Phase III of the MUTP.
“The state government has also promised to look into the Bandra land issue as the money would finally be used for MUTP projects,” added Sehgal. The land near Bandra railway station has been caught in an ownership row between the railways and the state government.
A stamp to celebrate
The state government and the railways have decided to commemorate the golden jubilee of the state formation and the arrival of 101 new rakes for the city under MUTP Phase I by coming up with a stamp and First Day Cover. The state government has assured the railways to take it up with the concerned minister.
