Simple protection against rain and heat has been improvised into a cost effective arrangement for rainwater harvesting and solar energy generation. (Image source:- Twitter)The Guntakal railway station under the South Central Railway zone has come up with an innovative move of installing 'Ulta Chaata' or 'inverted umbrella' in an innovative move to conserve rainwater, reports Financial Express.
The canopies also have solar panels that provide enough energy for mobile and laptop charging, seating arrangements etc.
This arrangement is called 'Model 1080' due to its geometric design. Simple protection against rain and heat has been improvised into a multi-utility arrangement.
As of now, six such umbrellas are installed at a cost of Rs 14 lakh approximately with each canopy being capable of harvesting around 60,000 litres of rainwater. These canopies are connected to an outlet which allows the groundwater recharge or storage in the existing tanks.
The canopies are capable of tolerating winds upto 140 kmph and the solar power generated can also be fed back to the grid. The structures also have back-up batteries for the charging outlets when enough solar power is not being generated.
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