Tag: neerain rain water harvesti

Is “NeeRain” the Answer to Global Water Scarcity? Unveiling Amit Doshi’s Vision

Posted on

In the heart of Kalol, Gujarat, where water scarcity casts a long shadow over daily life, one man’s journey embodies the spirit of innovation, determination, and environmental stewardship. Meet Mr. Amit Doshi, the visionary founder of NeeRain, a trailblazer in the realm of rainwater harvesting. His entrepreneurial voyage is not merely a story of success but a testament to the transformative power of dedication, ingenuity, and a deep-seated commitment to addressing pressing global challenges.

Amit’s narrative begins in Kalol, a town grappling with the relentless burden of water scarcity. Despite the adversities, he pursued his education with fervor, culminating in a Diploma in Plastic Engineering. These formative years instilled in him a profound understanding of the challenges faced by communities battling water shortages—a comprehension that would later fuel his entrepreneurial aspirations.

A pivotal moment came when Amit joined Sintex Industries Limited, marking the beginning of a remarkable 17-year journey. Rising through the ranks, he navigated diverse roles, from Production Supervisor to National Head for Environmental Enterprise. His tenure at Sintex honed his expertise in waste management, laying the groundwork for his future endeavors. However, Amit harbored a burning desire to chart a new path—one that would transcend the confines of traditional waste management and delve deeper into the realm of environmental sustainability.

In 2014, Amit took the leap of faith, bidding farewell to Sintex Industries to embark on his entrepreneurial odyssey. His mission was clear: to tackle water-related challenges head-on while revolutionizing the landscape of rainwater harvesting. Thus, NeeRain was born—a testament to his unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.

At the core of NeeRain’s ethos lies a profound dedication to simplicity, accessibility, and effectiveness. Amit envisioned a solution that would democratize rainwater harvesting, making it accessible to all. The result? A groundbreaking innovation: rooftop rainwater filters designed to capture, purify, and store rainwater with unparalleled efficiency. Made from ABS plastic, these filters boast a dual-stage filtration process, ensuring the purity of collected water. What sets NeeRain apart is its affordability, ease of installation, and low maintenance—a stark departure from traditional methods plagued by complexity and high costs.

The inspiration behind the name “NeeRain” is as poetic as it is profound. Rooted in Sanskrit, “नीर” (Neer) translates to water, symbolizing the essence of life itself. Paired with “Rain,” the name embodies the company’s mission to harness the life-giving power of rainwater for the greater good—a mission encapsulated by the mantra Amit lives by: “Contribute more, expect less.”

NeeRain’s journey has been marked by remarkable milestones, including prestigious awards and recognition for its contributions and innovative products:

  • Won CII’s National Award for Excellence in Water Management 2022 in the innovative water-saving product category.
  • Featured in the first episode of the series “ChangeMakers“ by Doordarshan.
  • Signed an MOU with the WASH Innovation Hub, Government of Telangana, for upcoming rainwater harvesting projects.
  • Engaged by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for projects at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation worth Rs. 20 Lakhs.
  • Mentioned in the coffee table book of CII.
  • Attained global recognition by The Better India.
  • Article published by Partho Burman.
  • Awarded the Water Leadership Award by The Economic Times Group.
  • Acknowledged as an Emerging Startup in water conservation by the Entrepreneurship Development Institution of India.

Photo Courtesy : CEO VINE

In its initial stages, NeeRain received a significant CSR grant of Rs. 10.81 lakhs from HDFC Bank through Cradle, EDII, which served as a catalyst for the company’s growth. Today, NeeRain’s revenue is poised to reach approximately Rs. 2 crore, a testament to its burgeoning success and impact in the field of water management.

  • Yet, for Amit, success transcends mere accolades and revenue figures. It is rooted in a profound sense of purpose—a commitment to empowering individuals, communities, and the planet. In his spare time, Amit channels his passion for empowerment through motivational videosaimed at inspiring the next generation of changemakers.
  • Aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to follow in Amit’s footsteps are met with sage advice: identify real problems, devise affordable solutions, and embrace simplicity and scalability. The journey may be fraught with challenges, but with perseverance and innovation, transformative change is within reach.
  • In the annals of entrepreneurship, Amit Doshi’s story stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of human ingenuity—a beacon of hope in an ever-changing world. Through NeeRain, he has not only revolutionized rainwater harvesting but also ignited a movement—one that empowers individuals to shape a more sustainable future for generations to come.

NeeRain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

CEO VINE

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Rosalin

Published On : 1 March, 2024

 

Rainwater harvesting a lifeline for 900 families

Posted on

Photo Courtesy : The Hindu

UDAIPUR: Capturing rainwater is the most sustainable solution to deal with water scarcity in Rajasthan and specially when the technique is the traditional wisdom of the desert state.
According to Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), out of 243 blocks in Rajasthan, 196 fall in the critical zone. This means that in these regions, the annual withdrawal of water from underground is more than what falls as rain. There is growing imbalance between demand and supply of water in the state.

As per international standards, availability of water below 500 cubic meter is considered as absolute water scarcity. The annual per capita availability of water in the state is expected to go down to 439 m3 by 2050 which was 840 m3 in 2001 and against the national average of 1,140 m3 by 2050. Wells for India, (WI) a UK-based NGO which have been working for three decades for the water cause, has helped people to deal with water scarcity through rainwater capturing techniques. WI with its partner GRAVIS, another NGO helped construction and repair of 895 taankas in Pabupura cluster in the Phalodi block of Jodhpur district which has ensured water security to 900 families. These Taankas have of 21,000 litre capacity.

Now 900 families have water source at their doorstep for a period varying from 9 to 12 months. “The intervention has helped women in saving time, money and labour. Their working hours have reduced from 18 to 15 hours and now they can relax for around nine hours a day as compared six hours in the past. The increased water availability for a longer duration has reduced physical workload, mental stress and health related problems of women,” says OP Sharma, country director, WI.

Photo Courtesy : engineering and architecture

Tanka beneficiaries started to take bath and wash clothes more frequently. The water use in washing clothes and taking bath has increased by more than 4 times, whereas the water used by animals has increased by 2.5 times. Moreover, daily cleaning of utensils and water storage pots has substantially increased. Above 70% of the tanka families have started using alum/chlorine tablets to purify their drinking water, whereas more than 80% of the families have started using ladle to take water from the pot. Last but not least, expenditure incurred on water for drinking and domestic purpose including the water for animals reduced from 2 to 3 times.

Similarly in Hilly regions of Bhinder block of Udaipur seen the significant impacton increase in irrigated area on account of mainly ground water / well rechargedue to construction of small water harvesting works such as loose stone checkdams, masonry dams etc. Prior to construction of these structures the totalirrigated area under the command of these 39 existing wells (i.e in 2004) was only 23 hectare, which has now been (up to Rabi 2016 ) increased to 80 hectare. Irrigated area is showing the significant impact of these small water harvesting works on increasing the availability of water.

NeeRain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

Times Of India

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Times Of India

Published On : 22 Mar, 2017

India’s man-made water crisis threatens more cities

Posted on

Photo Courtesy : Ador T. Bustamante/Gulf News

Chennai water crisis isn’t an isolated case. 21 cities are expected to run out of water

  • 200,000 Indians die every year because they don’t have a safe water supply.
  • In theory, India receives enough rain every year to meet the needs of over a billion people.
  • A rapidly urbanizing and developing India needs to drought-proof its cities and rationalize its farming.

One of India’s largest cities, Chennai, is dealing with a crippling crisis: It has run out of water. In the middle of a particularly hot summer, the four lakes that supply the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu have dried up; together they contain just 1 per cent of the volume they did last year. Residents don’t have enough water to drink, bathe or wash clothes. People are working from home; malls have closed their bathrooms; and restaurants have shut their doors.

The natural instinct is to blame the situation on climate change and, indeed, the last monsoon’s rains were especially weak. While that’s certainly played a role, however, Chennai’s is largely a man-made disaster — one that more Indian metropolises are soon to suffer no matter the weather.

According to a study by the federal government think tank Niti Aayog, 21 Indian cities will run out of groundwater by next year, including the capital New Delhi and the information technology hub of Bengaluru. Two hundred thousand Indians already die every year because they don’t have a safe water supply, the report said. A shocking 600 million people face “high to extreme” water stress.

As the world warms, the rains on which India depends have become erratic: They frequently fail to arrive on time, and they fall in a more disparate and unpredictable pattern.

– Mihir Sharma

That Chennai should have run dry first is instructive. Less than four years ago, the now drought-ridden city was inundated by devastating floods. Though located on a flood plain, the city had paved over the lakes and wetlands that might have helped the process of recharging the water table. As a result, heavy rains couldn’t percolate into aquifers under the city. Water pooled and surged aboveground. That reduced the resources available to deal with a crisis like this year’s.

Photo Courtesy  : istock

Elsewhere, demand is the issue. In theory, India receives enough rain every year to meet the needs of over a billion people. According to the country’s Central Water Commission, it requires at most 3,000 billion cubic metres of water annually and receives 4,000 billion cubic metres of rain.

Inefficiency and misuse

But too much water is wasted thanks to inefficiency and misuse. The situation is particularly dire in India’s northwest, irrigated by the great rivers that rise in the Himalayas. Indians are taught to revere the “green revolution” of the 1970s, when the northwest became India’s granary thanks to canals and tube wells that pumped out groundwater. That revolution, however, has turned out to be unsustainable. In 2011, 245 billion cubic metres of water was withdrawn for irrigation — a quarter of the total groundwater depletion globally that year.

Northwestern states should be growing less water-intensive crops; areas in the east of the country that receive much more plentiful rainfall should take their place as the bread baskets of India. But shifting cultivation patterns around is politically problematic. Farmers in the northwest don’t just expect to continue to grow water-intensive crops, they also want free or subsidised power with which to run the tube wells that pump out their rapidly depleting groundwater.

limate change activists have long argued that water will be the political flashpoint of the 21st century. Water-stressed India will likely be one of the first places to test that theory. The state of Tamil Nadu complains that it doesn’t receive its fair share of the waters of the Cauvery River; recently, the authority that nominally manages the river accused the government of neighbouring Karnataka of holding onto water that it should have allowed to flow down to the Cauvery delta.

Things might get even testier up north, where more than a billion people depend upon rivers that rise in the Himalayas. Bangladesh and Pakistan feel that India is being stingy with river water. Indian strategists constantly worry that China will divert water from the Himalayan rivers that rise in Tibet to feed the thirst cities in its own north.

The floods in Chennai are a warning. As the world warms, the rains on which India depends have become erratic: They frequently fail to arrive on time, and they fall in a more disparate and unpredictable pattern. The country can no longer afford to waste its dwindling resources.

A rapidly urbanising and developing India needs to drought-proof its cities and rationalise its farming. Water-harvesting must be a priority, alongside mechanisms for groundwater replenishment. As it is, every summer is hotter and less bearable. If Indians run short of water as well, one of the world’s most populous nations could well become unlivable.

NeeRain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

Bloomberg

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Mihir Sharma

Published On : 19 June, 2019

 

A world without water: Scary future lies ahead

Posted on

We are living in water-stressed times; there are water-haves and a rising tide of water have-nots.

Photo Courtesy : Deccan Chronicle

In his 2015 sci-fi thriller, The Water Knife, set in Phoenix, Arizona, sometimein the near, dystopian future, novelist Paolo aacigalupi talks about placesthat are catastrophically water-starved, where suburbs have morphed intoghost towns and where people are fleeing drought. A riveting character in the book called Angel is a “water knife”, tasked to infiltrate and sabotage the water supplies of competing states.

I read excerpts of the book. It is racy, graphic, and terrifying, and not in the realm of the implausible anymore. We are living in water-stressed times; there are water-haves and a rising tide of water have-nots. A friend who lives in Gurgaon recently tweeted that in upscale condominiums in his city, there is free, unmetered, unlimited water for residents and one can actually leave a tap running and go off for a week with no charge and minimal consequences.

Meanwhile, the residents of Chennai, India’s sixth largest city, are livingthrough horrific times, though it rained a little earlier this week. Chennai has basically almost run out of water. The city is almost entirely dependent on the northeast monsoon, which starts in October. Last year, it received very little rainfall. Even thousands of kilometers away from Chennai, it is hard to insulate oneself against its troubles. All the four reservoirs that supply Chennai its water are running dry this summer because of scant rainfall in 2018.

Chennai’s water crisis is front-page news; friends’ Facebook posts describe in grim detail what is it is like to go without enough water day after day. There are images and video clips of long queues of people around water tankers in searing heat; there have been reports of scuffles over water. Many of Chennai’s hotels are rationing water for guests, and some private companies have reportedly asked their staff to work from home.

This week, the state government has announced that a train will bring water to Chennai from Jolarpettai in Vellore district, more than 200 km, away at a huge cost. The Opposition DMK leadership is against the idea. In short, more troubles lie ahead.

Chennai makes the headlines because it is a metropolitan city. But it is by no means the only place suffering acute water stress. Nearly half the country is grappling with drought-like conditions, and this has been particularly bad this year in western and southern India because of the below-average rainfall.

The question that interests me most about Chennai is how did it get to this sorry state? Tamil Nadu was perhaps the first state in India to make rainwater harvesting (RWH) mandatory for all buildings in 2003. Chennai has more than eight lakh RWH structures. So why are so many people in that city facing such an acute water shortage?

There hangs a tale which explains just about every mess that you see in nurban India. A building with a rainwater harvesting system on paper does not mean it actually works. A bit like the existence of a toilet does not mean it is used.

It will not work if it is not maintained properly. Friends in Chennai tell me there is huge apathy among a lot of people towards maintaining these structures. The water crisis had never been this acute. Many of the rainwater harvesting structures in Chennai are also inefficient.

If Chennai and so many other cities are facing a water crisis today, one bigreason is that neither policymakers nor many people living in these places truly realise the horrors of running out of water. If it starts raining anytime soon, people will forget their recent sufferings. That’s why the inefficiencies in the water sector remain, and rainwater storage and reuse and treatment of greywater are not given the importance that they deserve.

Here is one scandalous statistic about water losses. Lack of proper maintenance of infrastructure causes losses of almost 40 per cent of piped water in urban India.

Photo Courtesy : Quizlet

Chennai is currently in the news, but the big picture regarding water in India is grim. The Niti Aayog, the government’s think tank, acknowledges that nearly 600 million people in the country face high-to extreme water stress. There is a deepening national groundwater crisis, with 54 per cent of wells declining in level due to unsustainable withdrawals for irrigation.

The Narendra Modi government’s new Jal Shakti (water) ministry has announced a grand plan to provide piped water connections to every household in India by 2024. But the key question remains — what will happen if there is no water to give?

What will it take to realise that time is running out and we have to also wake up to simple ideas about conserving water. India captures only eight per cent of its annual rainfall. This is among the lowest in the world. Our ancestors used to capture far more. But those traditional methods have been neglected to the point where most are in ruins. We also don’t use our wastewater well.

There is much talk about security. It is time to realise that water is a security issue. Millions of Indians are not water-secure. Fights are breaking out over water. In Madhya Pradesh, the state government has reportedly asked the police in all its 52 districts to guard water sources. An existential threat hovers over many prosperous pockets of India. A drought is a huge part of the problem. The situation is getting steadily worse with unregulated extraction of groundwater, which is depleting underground aquifers. Take Bengaluru. Whoever has money drills a borewell to tap groundwater in the newer suburban areas where tech companies are clustered in the city.

A few years ago, I remember meeting a young hip technocrat who told me that “l fear the day when I will have soap all over my face and there is not a drop of water coming out of the tap”.

But I also saw a fascinating initiative called the Participatory Aquifer Mapping Project, which sought to involve Bengaluru’s residents in sharing information about borewells in their communities so that the city’s policymakers could learn what was happening underground and begin to craft a suitable response.

Today, in this country, demand for water vastly outstrips supply; the situation can deteriorate sharply unless we realise that this is an emergency and we must treat water as a precious resource and everyone must work towards conserving it.

The future could well resemble dystopian fiction.

NeeRain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

Deccan Chronicle

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Patralekha Chatterjee

Published On: 28, June, 2019

As groundwater level depletes, city stares at the bottom of well

Posted on

Photo Courtesy: Mumbai Mirror

Citizens across the city are reporting about an alarming depletion of groundwater. Wells situated in private properties and temples are almost running dry, they say.

Experts claim that although Mumbai is blessed with abundant groundwater, the low levels in the wells could be due to the massive construction taking place in the city. There are about 6,000 construction sites in Greater Mumbai, each one digging deep piles into the ground for making basements.

The issue was sparked early this month on Parsi community chat groups with members reporting low water levels in the wells inside several fire temples across the city. The well is a crucial component in any fire temple without which no liturgical ceremonies can be performed.

Juhu resident and civic activist Zoru Bhathena said the sweet water well on his property generally has 5 feet to 7 feet of water around this time of the year.

“This year, it has plummeted to just 3 feet,” he told Mirror. “I asked the neighbours and friends in the locality, and they pointed to a huge construction site near my house where the ground had a deep excavation for a basement,” he said.

“Substantial water extraction accompanies basement construction impacting water resources in the area significantly,” he added.

Several other residents in Juhu too complained that there was hardly any water left in their borewells with rocks at the bottom visible.

Bhathena has written to the Principal Secretary, Environment & Climate Change, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority and BMC commissioner regarding this.

The total water stocks in the seven lakes that supply water for Mumbai’s daily needs stood at 9 lakh million litres as on January 15 62% of the required quantum. On the same date last year, water stocks were at 9.59 lakh million litres or 66% of the required quantum which was also higher than this year’s situation.

In Thakur Complex, Kandivali (east), Nishant Mody said that they have seen a significant reduction in borewell water supply from January 9. Initially, residents suspected it was due to water leakage or a pump-related issue.

“We have had to increase our pump running time and reduce the water usage in the garden to compensate for this reduction. Our security personnel who also works in a nearby housing society, observed similar depletion around the same dates,” said Mody.

Structural experts and environmentalists Mirror spoke to said that they were not surprised. Alpa Sheth, a structural engineer, said that the proliferation of skyscrapers could be the reason. Most have 3-4 level basements.

“Mumbai is a city beside the sea and the water table is bound to be high. If so many construction sites are going to go below the ground and suck out the water, its effect will be seen somewhere,” she said.

Amar Joshi, a geologist, said that the rampant piling work that the city is witnessing could be a cause for depletion of ground water. “Besides, there are many infrastructure projects like the coastal road twin tunnel or the underground metro where digging is done several metres below the ground.

The groundwater that is sucked out is all wasted,” said Joshi. He added that borewells in areas like Dhobi Talao once catered to a much larger number of water tankers than at present.

Environmentalist Subhajit Mukherjee, founder of the NGO Mission Green Mumbai, said climate change could also be attributed as one of the factors to these complaints of depleting ground water levels. “Earlier, the rain pattern was such that through the four monsoon months, the city would receive continuous rain, allowing the water to soak in at ease. But now the situation is such that the city gets intense rain in a short spell, making up for all the four months.

This large quantum of rainwater cannot be soaked in easily, leading to a run-off,” said Mukherjee Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder of the NGO Waatavaran Foundation, who also worked as a programme coordinator with the NGO Paani Foundation, said that historically Mumbai has been known as the city of wells.

“The city was not dependent on outside water which now comes from the seven lakes situated outside the city limits. However, as the population grew, the need for these lakes was felt. Despite abundant rainfall, we have not taken advantage of it by harvesting rainwater. In the event of a bad monsoon, the water stress in Mumbai will be tremendous,” he said.

NeeRain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

Mumbai Mirror

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Richa Pinto

Published On: 21, January, 2024

Recharge Before Groundwater Depletes

Posted on

Photo Courtesy : The Interview World

NeeRain, an innovation-oriented startup, tackles the groundwater crisis through the use of local, decentralized rooftop rainwater filters. These filters empower individuals to lead water-secure lives. Furthermore, the startup holds patents for a range of rooftop rainwater filters that are both easy to use and cost-effective. Their goal is to harvest rooftop rainwater in every habitat.

Through extensive research, NeeRain’s team has achieved a technological breakthrough in rooftop rainwater filters. This advancement is bringing joy to millions of people worldwide by providing a sustainable solution to water scarcity.

As a young startup, NeeRain focuses on the cause of rooftop rainwater harvesting. They believe that the populace receives rooftop rainwater freely. However, much of it goes to waste. On this concept, NeeRain offers patented technologies to capture every drop of rainwater, allowing it in daily activities or diverting to recharge groundwater sources.

In an exclusive interaction with The Interview World, Naishal Shah, Co-founder and CEO of NeeRain Pvt. Ltd., emphasizes the startup’s mission to combat groundwater depletion. The company aims to achieve this by offering an affordable system to capture and redirect rainwater to aquifers. Here are key excerpts from his insightful interaction.

Q: What features does your rainwater harvesting system incorporate, and how does it contribute to the overall groundwater sustainability?

A: Rainwater is freely available during monsoon. However, the water we receive goes down to drains. Here, we provide a technology that enables people efficiently filter the rainwater and direct it towards the borewell or tank, eventually recharging groundwater. Our advanced technology employs a two-stage water filtration system. Once filtered, all the water can either enter the borewell or the tank. Remarkably, a 1000-square-foot roof can yield approximately 50,000 to 60,000 litres of water in just one rainy season in places like Delhi and Ahmedabad.

If we shift our focus to regions like Kerala or Mumbai, a 1000-square-foot roof has the potential to provide an impressive 2-3 lakh litres of water in a single rainy season. Currently, a significant portion of this water is either wasted, blocked, or eventually drains into rivers and seas. By implementing a simple filtration process, we can redirect this water directly into the borewell and tank, storing valuable rainwater. Furthermore, channeling rainwater through the borewell contributes to an increase in groundwater levels.

The water filtered through our system is exceptionally clean, and its introduction into the groundwater does not lead to deterioration. Notably, rainwater captured directly does not exhibit hardness or Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Considering the alarming rise in groundwater depletion, directing rainwater to the groundwater directly presents a practical solution to elevate groundwater levels and address this urgent concern.

Q: What is the cost estimate for implementing a rainwater harvesting unit suitable for a 1000 sq. feet rooftop area?

A: The cost for our rainwater harvesting unit is Rs. 2950. One can complete any additional small and heavy plumbing work within a budget of Rs. 10,000. Our system boasts a lifespan of 10 years, and the maintenance is hassle-free with a simple filter removal and washing process, eliminating any recurring costs. You can easily manage this routine maintenance by hiring your local plumber, as no special technical skills are necessary for setting up our rainwater harvesting unit.

Having filed for a patent in 2018, we successfully obtained approval in 2020. To date, we have already installed over 10,000 units, actively promoting the importance of rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. We remain committed to spreading this message, encouraging more people to take an interest in sustainable water management. Remarkably, we have received zero complaints about the performance of our products.

Q: Can you provide supporting data or evidence to substantiate the claim that 30 crore liters of water have been saved over the course of the last 2 years?

A: Certainly, all the data is at our disposal, categorized by states and cities based on the deployment of rainwater harvesting units. For instance, in Delhi alone, where we’ve implemented these units, capturing 500 mm of rainfall during a season can result in saving a substantial 50,000 litres of water. We’ve meticulously collected data from households in Delhi, supporting our assertion with accurate figures.

As a result, the harvested rainwater ensures that clean water percolates into the ground, safeguarding water quality and preventing contamination in the process. This approach aligns with our commitment to sustainable water management.

Q: What underlying technology powers your system?

A: Our system operates based on gravity, eliminating the need for electric power or any additional mechanical devices. The system incorporates two-stage filters: a 400-micron net for the initial stage and a 200-micron net for the second stage. In the first stage, larger particulates are filtered, followed by the filtration of smaller particulates in the second stage. This sequential process ensures that the water entering the ground is thoroughly purified. As a result, your water resource remains untainted, and rainwater is effectively conserved.

Photo Courtesy : The Interview World

Neerain is proud to republish this blog for spreading awareness about situation of water, for our stake holders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

The Interview World

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Publish On: 23, January, 2024

Water Crisis In Pune : No Permission To New Building In PMRDA Without Assessment : Saurabh Rao

Posted on

Photo Courtesy : Pune Pulse

Second meeting called by the Divisional Commissioner of Pune Saurabh Rao regarding the water crisis in PMC and PCMC was held today. More than 60 residents representing various organisations attended the meeting raising various issues.

Advocate Satya Muley shared important points that were discussed with Pune Pulse.

Important minutes of meeting

Divisional Commissioner of Pune announced in presence of PMRDA Commissioner that henceforth no new permissions shall be given in PMRDA jurisdiction without ascertaining availability and capability of local body/PMRDA/Zilla parishad to provide water to the new construction. No new construction permission shall be provided based on an affidavit taken from builders.

Almost 60 to 70 representatives of housing Societies, Housing Federations, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, Maharashtra Housing  societies federation were present.

The demand for providing water through tankers by PMC and PCMc was once again discussed and DC mentioned that the subject is being evaluated.

Spot visits to both corporations have been directed to understand the ground level realities and offer solutions.

Dedicated email id to be shared by both corporations to register complaints from housing complexes regarding water scarcity.

From the next meeting complaints to be received in advance and solutions to be offered during the next monthly meeting.

Adv Satya Muley stated that it is a district wide problem and intensive efforts by the special committee is required. Although providing immediate solutions to current scarcity is important, long term planning is also important which appears to be lacking by both the corporations.

Sunil Koloti, a resident of Nyati Windchimes who was part of the meeting stated that the meeting was fruitful but only it should turn into prompt action. 75 percent of our monthly maintenance goes into procuring water through tankers. PMC must come up with some solution now.

Another resident, Dilip Shah, founder of Undri Residents Forum said, “There were many residents who were present today.  We are hoping that strong action is taken by PMC as well as PCMC. It’s high time citizens get their due. Potable drinking water is what we are demanding. This meeting should not turn into another assurance but no result.”

Neerain is proud to republish this blog for spreading awareness about situation of water, for our stake holders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by:

Pune Pulse

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Publish On: 15, January, 2024

Making India water-secure: Solutions for the future

Posted on

Photo courtesy: Indiamart

‘Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink’ – this predicament of the sailors in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem is a portent to our collective futures; one with little to no access to safe water. In 2019, Chennai, a city that receives twice London’s average annual rainfall at 1,400 mm, had to meet its water needs by trucking in 10 million liters of water a day. The 2018 drinking water crisis in ‘Queen of Hills’ Shimla made international headlines when policemen were deployed on the ground to manage water distribution.

The NITI Aayog’s 2018 Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) depicts an unsettling picture of macro-water availability in India – despite being home to 17% of the world’s population, it has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. The total water demand in India is projected to increase by 22% and 32% in 2025 and 2050 respectively and, by 2050, 85% of this demand is expected to come from industrial and domestic sectors alone. Among the regions, the south and the northwest  are expected to face the worst in next two years. About two lakh people die every year due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene and ~820 million Indians living in twelve river basins across the country have per capita water availability close to or lower than 1000m3, the official threshold for water scarcity as per the Falkenmark Index.

To address this looming water crisis and ensure water security, it is imperative to devise a holistic urban water management system that can help balance biodiversity by protecting and restoring the health of waterways and wetlands, mitigate flood risk and damage, provide for sustainable and resilient communities, promote sustainable development goals (SDGs), and address the needs of the last person in the queue.

Photo courtesy : Ministry of Jal Shakti

Some of the solutions available to this end include:

  1. Rejuvenation / conservation of water bodies: Replenishing and restoring the health of natural water bodies and wetlands is the single-most effective way of securing a safe source of water. Cities, like Bengaluru, have 210 lakes, covering 3,622 acres with a capacity of 35,000 million ft3. Long-term efforts such as Namami Gange are also bearing fruits. However, for more localized solutions, it is important that traditional water storage structures such as vavsand baolis are rejuvenated and maintained.
  2. Rainwater harvesting: India receives bountiful rains – last Monsoon, India received 925 mm rainfall in just four months. A part of the immense potential to create sources of water through rainwater harvesting is being realized – as on February 2, 2023, more than 1.19 million water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures have been constructed across India.
  3. Government initiatives: In the past few years, the progress towards providing piped water supply and last-mile delivery of water has been stupendous. The one-of-its-kind Jal Jeevan Mission supplied tap water to 10.64 crore – 55% – households in rural India until November 2022 and more than 15 lakh women were trained for testing water quality through field test kits.
  4. Digital interventions: Technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of Things (IoT) can help in flood prediction, rain forecasting, detecting water leakages, treating wastewater and harvesting rainwater. AI tools are capable of analyzing the data from recycling plants and suggesting ways to reduce energy consumption up to 30%, contributing to overall sustainable practices.
  5. Stemming groundwater depletion: Since agriculture utilizes the majority of groundwater, the World Bank has been supporting innovative projects targeted at the agrarian communities. These include Atal Bhujal Yojana, the world’s largest community-led groundwater management program and Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao in Punjab that resulted in water savings between 6 and 25% without any adverse effect on the yield. With states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam and Manipur among others reporting high levels of arsenic in the groundwater, efforts for decontamination would also have to become part of the plan.

There is no doubt that the problem of water scarcity is one of environment, population, governance, health and well-being. Having to walk long distances and stand in long lines every day, 163 million people across the country continue to live without clean water close to their homes and ~0.2 million people die every year due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene. The population concentration is disproportionately high in Indian cities, 30 of which, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), stare at a grave water risk.

Given the seriousness and complexity of the problem, policymakers must therefore employ systems thinking – an approach that can create an ecosystem for innovation that develops big-picture perspective, focuses on opportunities in a problem, and fosters adaptation amid rapidly-evolving environments. There is no doubt that greater involvement of communities can heavily alter the outcome of urban water management solutions. At the same time, funding such programs can meet a roadblock, especially in the wake of the devastating impacts of the pandemic. Therefore, fostering public-private partnerships (PPP) that can work by engaging communities, funders, corporate stakeholders and creating awareness will play a critical role in achieving the goal ahead.

Neerain is proud to republish this article for spreading awareness about situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This article is published by: –

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author : Dr Nidhi Pundhir

Published On: March 28, 2023, 2:23 PM

Rain Water Harvesting- Solution to India’s Water crisis

Posted on

Photo courtesy:Indiamart

India is facing the worst water crisis in its history. As per a report by Niti Ayog 21 cities in India will run out of groundwater by 2020. According to a report published by WaterAid around 80% of India’s surface water is polluted. A majority of the population is dependent on the groundwater which is again struggling to keep pace with the needs of the rising population.  While around 200,000 people are dying each year due to inadequate access to safe water, the situation will likely get worse as the population will increase.

While cities are grappling for water supply, there is an urgent need for improved measures to manage water resources. Water conservation and management are becoming a worldwide concern due to the accelerating water shortages, rapid development, population growth and growing agriculture. In such a situation, rainwater harvesting is a viable solution to help meet this demand and solve the water crisis to some extent.

A major population heavily depend on the municipality supplied water for daily household use. This growing reliance put an unnecessary burden on the infrastructure. Rain-water harvesting can save gallons of water for daily household or office use. For every 1000 sq feet of roof space, approximately 620 gallons of water can be saved every time it rains. This source of non-potable water can be used in flushing toilets, laundry etc. The saved water can fulfil at least 70% of the water demand in a household of 3 people during a drought year. If saved for months, this water can also be used for irrigation and fulfil the water requirement of crops in a drought-like situation. Further, if used with drip irrigation, more water can be saved and dependence on municipal water supplies can be reduced to a great extent.

Photo courtesy: Indiamart

Rainwater harvesting has been adopted by many countries as a viable means to save water. With the increasing population and dependence on water, it becomes pertinent for households to start investing in rain-water harvesting systems (RWH). Govt, both at the centre and state must take a proactive step towards making it mandatory for buildings and complexes to install Rainwater Harvesting System. A huge penalty should be imposed upon building without a proper urban water management system. Considering the huge water problem, monitoring and strict action against violation of the rules are equally important to deal with the crisis.

Water conservation also lies in the hands of Corporates and individuals. Corporate consciousness towards water and individual empathy can make a huge difference. With government mandating the socio good paradigm, the corporates now equally have the onus to implement low water usage methods and social welfare policies, aimed at water management and harvesting rainwater. Corporates within their capacity can design CSR initiatives concentrating on water conservation, rain-water harvesting and spread water awareness in the most interior parts of the country.

In order to save the country from the water crisis, social consciousness has to be practised at all levels. People have to come forward and realize their responsibility towards water and make sure we take proactive measures to ensure its effective management.

Neerain is proud to republish this article for spreading awareness about situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This article is published by: –

fiinovation

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Published On:  September 7, 2019

Five environmental entrepreneurs making money sustainably

Posted on

An underlying theme of sustainable businesses is innovation – through either a product, service or a combination of both. Here are five environmental entrepreneurs saving the environment and promoting sustainability through their startups.

Photo Courtesy : 30 Stades

Many entrepreneurs today are setting up sustainable businesses that solve environmental problems and still make money because that’s the only way to keep any enterprise going.

An underlying theme of sustainable businesses is innovation – through either a product or a service or a combination of both. Environmental entrepreneurs solve the pressing problem of saving the environment and aiding ecological balance.

Here are five entrepreneurs who are contributing immensely to the cause of the environment through their unique products:

1. Nitin Sharma, Go Waterless, Pune

Water scarcity left Nitin’s family car wash business high and dry in 2016. After the problem continued well into 2017, Nitin began to research products that could wash cars without water.

Finally, in 2019, he developed eco-friendly high-lubricity sprays that clean car interiors and exteriors without water. Go Waterless has been profitable since its inception in 2019 and is present in 22 states.

More importantly, it is saving 12 lakh liters of water daily and earning Rs 2.5 crore in annual revenues.

2. Ashvin Patil and Chaitanya Korgaonkar, Biofuels Junction, Mumbai

Ashvin is an MBA and engineer who quit his job as an equity market analyst to set up Biofuels with his friend Chaitanya.

The duo started Biofuels in 2018 with the dual aim of solving farmers’ problem of agri waste disposal and providing clean fuel to enterprises. Most farmers, after harvest, burn residues like rice stubble, cotton stalks, and coconut husks, causing pollution.

Biofuels procures agri waste from farmers and it is then processed into solid biofuels at the nearest manufacturing facility in the startup’s network. The company’s field staff monitors the quality and consistency of biofuels, which replace coal, diesel and furnace oil at industrial plants, reducing the burden on non-renewable resources.

The sustainable startup works with 25,000 farmers and over 100 top companies. In just four years of launch, it is clocking Rs67 crore in annual revenues.

3. Amit Doshi, NeeRain, Ahmedabad

When Amit Doshi was in class four, he and his brother would accompany their mother to fill water from a tap near their house in Kalol, about 35km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The area’s borewells had dried up and the municipality supplied water every three days.

Growing up with water scarcity instilled in Amit a sense of purpose – to save every drop of water. One way to do it was through rainwater harvesting by collecting and storing rainwater that runs off from rooftops, roads, grounds, etc.

After a year of research and development, he designed an instrument to help people collect rainwater, which could be used to recharge borewells or stored, and named it NeeRain Rainwater Filter. This small filter unit with dimensions of 1x1x1.5 feet uses an engineering material called ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and it was patented in 2018. Amit’s startup earns Rs 2 crore in revenues annually and is growing rapidly.

4. Vinayakumar Balakrishnan: Thooshan, Kochi

Having spent a large part of his life working in leadership roles in the banking and insurance sector, Vinayakumar decided to return from Dubai to India in 2013 and began research on food waste that could be used to make biodegradable plates.

He approached the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)’s National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram and funded the research on making biodegradable food plates from rice bran. Once the technology was in place, he set up a fully integrated robotic plant in Kochi to make biodegradable cutlery and Thooshan went live in 2021.

According to estimates, producing just one pound of plastic cutlery can take up to 78 liters of water and release 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) of carbon dioxide. This plastic is difficult to recycle and ends up choking animals and polluting water bodies and soil.

Thooshan cutlery can be decomposed into organic manure or can be used as cattle feed, fish feed, or poultry feed. The startup is sustainable and environment-friendly.

5. Bhavini Parikh, Bunko Junko, Mumbai

In 2016, while working on her garment manufacturing business, Bhavini came across research that textile waste is the third largest source of municipal solid waste in India. With landfills having a limited capacity to take on the load, she decided to minimize fabric waste at her level.

“I realized I was also hurting the environment by being part of the fashion industry. So I thought of up-cycling fabric scraps produced in my garment manufacturing unit,” she says.

Today, her ethical fashion brand Bunko Junko turns textile scrap into stylish clothing, home furnishings, and accessories. Since 2018, it has saved 38 tonnes of fabric from going to landfills and empowered thousands of women. And her profitable operations clock Rs. 40 lakh in revenues annually.

Neerain is proud to republish this blog to spread awareness about the situation of water, for our stakeholders. Credit whatsoever goes to the Author.

This blog is published by: 30 Stades

We would like to spread this for the benefit of fellow Indians.

Author: Partho Burman and Bilal Khan

Published On: 29 Dec 2023