STATION HURRAH

Howrah: Eleven giant ceiling fans, each with blades more than 10 feet long, could soon join the boro ghori (big clock) as icons of Howrah station.

The high volume low speed (HVLS) fans with aluminium blades were installed at the station over the past month to keep its concourse cooler.

The new fans have replaced more than 100 old ones that were attached to pillars in the concourse and failed to circulate air in all corners. The summer months would be especially uncomfortable with thousands of passengers jostling for space in the concourse.

A million passengers pass through the 113-year old station - one of the busiest in India - every day.

Installed at a cost of Rs 47.2 lakh, the fans are circulating air noiselessly to the farthest corners of the concourse that spreads over 9,000 square metres. Howrah is the first station in eastern India to boast such fans, according to the railways.

Ceiling fans are measured by the full size of their blade span or blade sweep, which is the diameter of the circle when the blades are in motion. The sweep of the new fans at Howrah station is 24 feet (7.3 metres), while that of a usual household ceiling fan is around four feet.

The HVLS fans drive a lot of air in a very large space and circulate it across 20 metres or more from the fans' centre in all directions (over 1,600 square metres for a 7.3 metre fan), said an electrical engineer of the railways.

Despite the wide reach, the fans are not noisy. "They don't have a gearbox and work almost silently. At 100 per cent speed, the sound level is around 50 decibel," said the engineer.

The variable speed is around 60 revolutions per minute. In comparison, traditional ceiling fans have a variable speed of more than 900 revolutions per minute and as a result are much more noisy.

The new fans are also more energy efficient.

"These fans make sure you get air irrespective of where you are at the concourse. Earlier, there would be a scramble to stand or sit near a pillar with a fan fitted," said Sumit Jha, a businessman from Howrah who often travels to Asansol, Patna and Ranchi.

Howrah station has been undergoing a facelift. In February, the platforms were rid of more than 100 illegal stalls under a drive to reclaim space for passengers.

"The environment of Howrah station should be befitting its iconic stature. Passenger amenities are top priority," said Manu Goel, the divisional railway manager of the Howrah division who is steering the transition of the station.

MAKEOVER MEASURES 

• Over 100 illegal stalls have been removed
• A video wall has come up near Food Plaza 
• Two plastic bottle-crushing machines have been installed

MORE IN STORE

• More giant screens  
• A single subway connecting the station with East-West Metro station, the ferry ghat, the bus stand and the taxi bay