NCRTC Advances Environmental Sustainability with 900 Rainwater Harvesting Pits on Namo Bharat Corridor
Meerut.Environmental sustainability has been a priority for NCRTC since the inception of the Namo Bharat project and it has been consistently working towards it. The provision of rainwater harvesting structures or recharge pits, at stations, depots, and along the viaduct in the elevated sections of the corridor is one such meaningful initiative in this direction. An effective system of about 900 rainwater harvesting structures or recharge pits is being constructed from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut, which has now almost been completed.
About 70 km of the 82 km long Namo Bharat Corridor is elevated and the rest is underground. In the elevated part of the corridor, rainwater harvesting pits are being built in the road divider section below the viaduct span. Additionally, two rainwater harvesting pits are being built at each entry-exit gate of the stations. The viaduct and roof of the stations are the catchment area for the rainwater.
Each pit constructed at the stations is 2 meters in diameter and 2.5 meters deep, with a capacity to collect approximately 6,500 litres of rainwater. Meanwhile, the pits built beneath the viaduct measure 2.9 x 1.5 meters in size, with a depth of 1.5 meters, and can store about 8,700 litres of water each.
As part of the design, rainwater harvesting pits are constructed at intervals of one span under the viaduct. Two small water chambers are being built opposite each other near the pillars at ground level and are being connected to the viaduct above through pipes. The harvesting pit is located between these two chambers, connected to it through pipes. During rainfall, water from the viaduct flows into the two chambers and then percolates into the ground through the harvesting pit. To ensure the rainwater is filtered before absorption, each pit is equipped with a three-layer filtration system comprising gravel and sand.
Two depots, one at Duhai (Ghaziabad) and the other at Modipuram (Meerut), are being constructed for train operations and maintenance. The Depot at Duhai has already been completed and is currently serving as the operational base for Namo Bharat trains. A total of 20 rainwater harvesting pits have been installed at this depot. In addition, two large ponds measuring 1,160 square meters and 663 square meters respectively have also been constructed. These ponds, with depths ranging between 4 to 5 meters, are equipped with harvesting pits at their base to facilitate groundwater recharge. The larger pond contains four square harvesting pits, and the smaller one contains three, each with a depth of 1.2 meters and a diameter of 2.5 meters. Combined, these ponds have a capacity to store over 66 lakh litres of rainwater. In the event of heavy rainfall, excess water from the harvesting pits will collect in the ponds and gradually seep into the ground. Additionally, the harvested water can be used for irrigating the depot’s landscaping.
At present, a 55-km section of the Namo Bharat Corridor between New Ashok Nagar in Delhi to Meerut South Station is operational for commuters. A total of 900 rainwater harvesting pits are targeted to be constructed on the entire 82 km Namo Bharat corridor, of which more than 800 pits are ready and operational. Construction of the rest of the pits is also progressing at pace and will soon be operationalised.
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