Kankaria Depot Becomes India’s First Water-Neutral Railway Depot
Why in the news
A coaching depot in Ahmedabad now recycles enough water to cover its entire needs, giving Indian Railways a template for water-efficient depots.
Key facts
- Place: Kankaria Coaching Depot, Ahmedabad, Gujarat; India’s first water-neutral railway depot.
- Savings: about 1.60 lakh litres per day, around 5.84 crore litres per year (over 23 Olympic-sized pools).
- Recycling: close to 100% of coach washing water is captured, treated and reused.
- Benefits: less reliance on municipal freshwater, lower costs for buying water and handling sewage.
- Vision: part of the Green Railways mission.
| Treatment stage | Role |
|---|---|
| Phytoremediation | Aquatic plants absorb pollutants, heavy metals and organic matter from wash runoff |
| Sand and carbon filters | Remove physical particles and chemicals |
| UV disinfection | Kills remaining bacteria and pathogens; water safe for staff and does not scale coaches |
Background
- Water neutrality: water used by a facility is equal to or less than what it recycles, recharges or returns to the environment.
- Phytoremediation: eco-friendly decentralised treatment that uses living plants to clean soil, air and water polluted with hazardous chemicals.
- The plant joins biological wetlands with technical filtration for a fail-safe supply.
Exam angle
- Where: Kankaria, Ahmedabad.
- Method tag: phytoremediation plus UV.
- Larger mission: Green Railways (net-zero carbon, water-positive).