All 90 new stations to be ‘green buildings’ with water saving, waste management arrangements

Each of the elevated stations that will come up under Delhi Metro’s Phase-III will see energy savings worth Rs.23,99,819 each year and if it is an underground station, the figures will be more than double at Rs.69,29,203 every year. Presently 1,06,493 tonne of fuel is saved by metro passengers who would have otherwise travelled by motorised vehicles, resulting in savings of Rs.1,588 crore per year.

All the 90 new metro stations which will be completed by 2016-end will be designed and constructed as ‘green buildings’, a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesperson said, adding that specific provisions have been made for conservation of energy as well as better carbon-dioxide saving, water saving and waste management arrangements.

The string of energy-saving provisions that will be put in place include reducing the ‘heat island effect’ which will see roofs of stations either finished with high reflective materials or landscaped with vegetation. “The plant species used for landscaping of stations will be either native or adaptive that consume less water,” said a DMRC statement.

Further, the walls, roof and windows of metro stations will be insulated to improve indoor thermal comfort for occupants, low water consuming fixtures such as dual-flush water closets and low-flow taps will be installed at stations and only low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives and sealants that do not have many chemicals will be used in construction. Fresh air will also be circulated to prevent the ‘sick building syndrome’, the statement said.

Apart from stations, the Delhi Metro’s receiving sub-stations and its upcoming residential quarters will be designed in the same manner.

According to the DMRC, in the last 12 years, the transport system has transported over 369 crore passengers. “This resulted in savings of 2.9 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent due to shift from other modes of travel, thus avoiding global warming and climate change,” said the statement.