Indian railways make Mathura summer bearbale with new 'mist cooling system'

Summer has still not peaked in Uttar Pradesh with the mercury recording 33 deg Celsius, its 'mildly sunny' weather in Mathura. Temperatures touching 45 degree celsius is a common occurrence in summer at Mathura, which awaits yearning for their regular monsoon in July-August.

Giving a temporary respite to Mathurites from the blistering sun, Indian Railways has recently installed a mist-cooling system in the platforms of the Mathura Junction, which has been tweeted by the Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal.

As per information shared by the Indian Railways, the newly installed mist cooling system at the station reduces the temperature at platforms by 7 to 8 degrees Celsius. A mist cooling system, unlike an air-conditioning system, can be installed in open spaces and helps to cool the space at a fraction of the cost. The system can also installed easily and requires minimum maintenance.

In the video released by Goyal, the system is seen in action. Thin pipes with minuscule holes drilled along its length are seen to discharge a spray of chilled and condensed water in the form of mist. These pipes are fitted on the suspended beams, parallel to each other and run along the length of the platforms, in the same level where the fans are fitted.

As a part of the Indian Railways' station beautification and redevelopment program, Mathura was one of the selected railway stations which underwent a major upgrade last year. Under the redevelopment program, new entry and exit gates have been installed at the station. Further, the first class waiting room and the main entry gate of the station have been upgraded to accommodate more passengers. In addition to these improvements, the circulating area of the station has been redeveloped.

The Indian railways had undertaken a major upgradation project for 68 railway station, last year. This project was supposed to be completed this February 2019. Apart from this, an amount of Rs 7,500 crore is likely to be invested by IRSDC (Indian Railway Station Development Corporation) for the redevelopment of 50 railway stations this year, as per budget reports.