Andhra Pradesh's first mechanised laundry ready

Tirupati: To provide much better linen for the railway passengers, the South Central Railway (SCR) is commissioning the mechanised laundry in the pilgrim city on Thursday under Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model. This will be the first such laundry in Andhra Pradesh and second in the SCR division with the first one was already in use at Kacheguda railway station in Telangana.

Highlights:

• Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to inaugurate it today from Vijayawada through remote video linkage
• He will also commission Kadapa-Pendlimarri railway line and launch DEMU service between two stations
• Minister to flag off Tirupati-Katra Humsafar train

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate the laundry through remote video linkage from Vijayawada in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and other dignitaries. In Tirupati, a programme will be held in which the two MPs, Tirupati MLA and MLCs will attend. Tirupati-Katra Humsafar train will also be flagged off on the occasion for which the reservation of berths was already started.

The fully automatic laundry with a capacity of 2.5 tonne was set up at a cost of Rs 2 crore two km away from Tirupati railway station. They private agency will have to operate it for 10 years and hand it over to Railways. It can wash, dry and iron the linen automatically.

Per day it can make 2,500 bed rolls with each bed roll consists of two blankets, one pillow cover and one face towel. The cost of each bed roll washing and pressing cost would be Rs 11.58. The laundry was established in 7,750 square feet area. The operator has installed best equipment in the world like washer-cum-extractor,

flat ironer-cum-feeder and folder and dryers from China-based Dolphin company. Best of the eco-friendly steam boilers for energy efficient and pollution free generation of steam and 25,000 litres of Sintex water tanks commissioned for huge water storage. It will provide quality and fresh linen to the passengers.

Hitherto, the process was being done manually at Ramachandrapuram near Tirupati. From Tirupati, linen should be supplied to 11 trains which the mechanised laundry cannot do. The left over will be sent for manual washing process also. Meanwhile, the much delayed Kadapa-Bengaluru railway line becoming a reality if not immediately but in the near future with the commissioning of Kadapa-Pendlimarri new railway line which is a part of the proposed project on Thursday.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate the line and also flag off the Kadapa-Pendlimarri DEMU service via remote video linkage. The foundation stone was laid for the 257 km railway line on September 2, 2010 with an estimated cost of around Rs 2,000 crore to be executed in four phases. But, it took almost seven years to complete the first phase of 22 km line between Kadapa and Pendlimarri.

During phase 2, work from Pendlimarry to Rayachoti will be taken up which will be followed in phase 2B from Rayachoti to Vayalpadu in Chittoor district. It will join the existing line from Vayalpadu to Madanapalle. In phase 3, works will be taken up to Madaghatta on Andhra Pradesh border from Madanapalle and phase 3B from Madaghatta to Mulabagal on the Karnataka border. In the last phase, works from Mulabagal to Kolar would be taken up and join with the Kolar-Bengaluru line. Once completed, this line will be of immense use to the people of western parts in Chittoor district.

By V Pradeep Kumar