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Delhi: New Ashok Nagar RRTS station to have 900 solar panels
NCRTC plans to install 900 solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems at New Ashok Nagar RRTS station in Delhi, aiming for eco-friendliness and trial runs by November.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is going to install more than 900 solar panels along with rainwater harvesting systems at the New Ashok Nagar Namo Bharat station in Delhi to make it environment-friendly, officials said on Wednesday, adding that the trial runs for the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) in Delhi is likely to begin by November.
The New Ashok Nagar RRTS station, being constructed on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, will have solar panels installed on the entire station’s roof facade, which is estimated to generate over 650,000 units of electricity annually, which will power the station’s electrical needs, the official added.
“Currently, the roof of the station is under construction. Once completed, solar panels will be installed on top of it. The electricity generated will power the station’s lighting and other electrical systems. NCRTC has adopted a solar policy aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy by generating over 11MW of solar power across the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor that is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 11,500 tonnes annually,” said Puneet Vats, chief public relations officer, NCRTC.
Solar plants have already been installed at the Sahibabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot stations on the operational section of the RRTS corridor, as well as at the Ghaziabad and Muradnagar receiving sub-stations and the RRTS depot. Officials added that these installations are already generating over 3MW of electricity, and all these stations are carbon negative – they produce more electricity than they consume.
At the New Ashok Nagar station, five rainwater harvesting pits are also being constructed, with three already completed. Across the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, over 900 rainwater harvesting pits are being made, with around 80% of pits already complete.
“We are working towards achieving the highest Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certification rating for New Ashok Nagar station. Apart from the solar panels being installed at the roof and the rainwater harvesting system, we have also started extensive plantation efforts. Along the entire route over 250,000 trees are being planted,” said the official.
The New Ashok Nagar RRTS station is being constructed near the existing Ashok Nagar Metro station. NCRTC is building a 90-meter-long and six-meter-wide foot overbridge (FOB) between the RRTS and metro stations, that will allow passengers to switch the two modes of transport without leaving the stations.
“Construction is progressing rapidly to link the Delhi section of the RRTS with the operational section at Sahibabad. The viaduct and tunnel have already been completed, and track laying, OHE, and signalling work are underway. Trial runs on the Delhi section, up to New Ashok Nagar station, are expected to begin by November,” said Vats.
The 14-km stretch of RRTS in Delhi includes the Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar RRTS stations. The Delhi section of the RRTS corridor features a 9km elevated stretch and a 5km underground stretch. Currently, Namo Bharat train services are being operated on nine stations over a 42km stretch from Sahibabad in Ghaziabad to Meerut South in Meerut on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor. The Delhi section is expected to be operational by mid-2025.
