ACs sticking out of Govt building: Rlys is first to treat the eyesore

“The idea is essentially to make these buildings look better from the outside. The Planning Commission felt that hundreds of air-conditioners hanging out of these buildings gave them a very shabby look,” said a senior Railways Ministry official.

“Suggesting that all the government buildings in the Central Vista should be modernised, the Planning Commission had asked Railways to take a lead in getting Rail Bhawan centrally air-conditioned and modernised using the best architectural consultants available,” the official added.

According to sources, almost all the major government buildings in the Central Vista area, including North Block, South Block, Vayu Bhawan, Sena Bhawan and Shastri Bhawan, are likely to be made centrally air-conditioned in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The process has already begun in some of these buildings.

At present, Rail Bhawan has about 450-500 window ACs installed in the building. “In addition to improving the building’s overall look, central air-conditioning will help us conserve more energy and will also be more environment friendly,” said an official. The Railways Ministry is hoping to cut down on its electricity bill in the long run.

“The variable refrigerant flow technology is being used for Rail Bhawan. Instead of the ozone-depleting R22 refrigerant, we will be using the R410A refrigerant. The R410A is globally recognised as a refrigerant which does not contribute to ozone depletion,” said an official involved with the project.