new delhi from using bamboo chicks and bubblewraps to heatresistant coating and portable coolers the railways is trying innovative ways to beat the heat inside isolation coaches deployed to treat coronavirus patients in a statement the railways said on friday that coversheets are also being placed over these coaches deployed in five states to work as covid care centres to keep the interiors cool bubblewrap films are being applied on the coaches which are expected to bring the inside temperatures down by up to one degree celsius it said also the northern railways coated the roof of isolation coaches with heatreflective paint as a trial and found that the temperature inside can be reduced up to 22c using this method it said trials are also being planned for another coating developed in association with iit mumbai the trial would be done on 2062020 and the results recorded the statement said a senior official also told that the railways has ordered a trial to paint the roofs of 100 converted coaches in northern and north central railway as per standards prescribed by the research designs standards organisation rdso before the covid19 outbreak a trial was conducted on around 100 coaches of humsafar express jan shatabdi express antyodaya express using another makeinindia product 3m scotchkote polytech exp rg700 which is a solarreflective material that can be applied on various metallic and nonmetallic surfaces officials said the railways friday statement also said that it has made arrangements to provide bamboo chicks and other such materials to lower the temperature further a trial has been carried out by placing portable coolers inside the coaches as well the railways said adding a temperature reduction of up to 3c was achieved using them water mist systems are also being tried out in the current season of dry air it is expected that the resulting temperature reduction would enhance the comfort of expected patients it said the issue of ac vs nonac isolation coaches was discussed with the niti aayog and the ministry of health and family welfare before modifying the coaches for covid19 patients the railways statement said it was agreed that ac coaches would not be suitable in view of the potential transmission risk of covid19 virus through ac ducting and generally a higher ambient temperature was expected to assist in fighting the virus the statement said adding crosscirculation of air through open windows would also benefit patients the nonac coaches would be a little warm in midjune if the windows are kept closed and the ambient temperature may also be around 43 c but once mosquito nets are installed and the windows kept open the cross circulation of air is expected it said even this kind of high temperature is expected to be temporary as the arrival of monsoon and rains would bring relief it added