Tag: neerain rainwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting at your home in four simple steps

Posted on

Photo courtesy: Pinterest

Every now and then we read reports on rapidly depleting groundwater levels in many parts of India. The problem is further exacerbated during some parts of the year when water becomes scarce across the length and breadth of the country. Over the years, India has emerged as the largest user of groundwater in the world for irrigation, industrial, and domestic needs. The country’s burgeoning population is further putting a lot of pressure on its water resources.

We can take a few little steps to reduce our dependence on groundwater. To start with, we could save rainwater at our home or building in an effective manner without spending too much money. By using this method, an average Indian family can easily harvest enough rainwater to meet its daily needs of water for washing, bathing, and even drinking. Following are some of the simple steps you need to take to start rainwater harvesting at your home or building:

1. Cleaning your catchment area: This is the place where most of the rainwater is received and can be diverted from. First of all, you need to clean your roof or catchment area to prevent any dirt or other unnecessary materials from contaminating the water. Over the years, rooftop rainwater harvesting has emerged as one of the most popular options in India as it is easily doable.

2. Redirecting water with pipes: Rainwater will be redirected towards the container through PVC pipes. These PVC pipes or gutters come in cylindrical shapes and can be easily attached to the drain pipes on the roof to redirect the water towards the storage tank.

3. Installing rain separator and storage tank filter: The next step is to install the first rain separator or the washout pipe. It is basically a simple valve to block the entry of water into the tank while cleaning the roof and also during the initial stages of raining, when the water could be of poor quality due to air pollution and other factors. This valve requires cleaning after every rain to discharge wastewater or dust-filled water, which we usually get during the start of the rainy season. Besides that, you need to install another filter right on the storage tank to get clean water. This filter is also used to prevent the entry of dust and other small particles into the storage tank.

Photo courtesy: The Economic Times

4. Overflow pipe for the extra water: You also need to install an overflow pipe on top of your storage tank to release excess water. It is recommended that you put your storage tank at an elevated place to prevent any sort of bacterial or fungi growth around it and also for keeping it away from the reach of stray dogs or other animals.

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: – The Economic Times

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

Publish On: : Aug 16, 2021

Salinity, fluoride, iron, and lead levels high in A’bad groundwater

Posted on

Photo Courtesy ; Vecteezy

Ahmedabad : Data from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti shows that more than half of Gujarat districts are affected by salinity, fluorides, and nitrites in their groundwater. Ahmedabad district is afflicted by five of the six issues flagged by the Union ministry, according to a response by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS (environment, forests, and climate change), in response to a question by Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani. Groundwater in Ahmedabad was found to have excessive levels of salinity, fluoride, nitrate, iron, and lead, the data shows. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCBP) using National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP) data for 2023 including data from 88 monitoring wells in Gujarat stated that73 of these wells were monitored in 2023 and the water in 52 of them were found to have fluoride content within safe limits, while the other 21 were ‘non-complying’. The data shows that of the 33 districts in Gujarat, 28 have relatively high salinity levels, 30 have high fluoride levels, 32 nitrites, 12 arsenic, 14 iron and one has excessive lead. While salinity renders water hard to use for drinking and irrigation, the other ions can cause several health issues, experts said. However, the overall trend is an improvement in groundwater levels and improved water quality due to availability of surface water via the Narmada canals. Another set of data, shared by Bishweswar Tudu, MoS (Jal Shakti) in response to Keshari Devi Patel in the Lok Sabha, shows that 51 ‘assessment units’ or wells in Gujarat fall in the OCS(overexploited, critical and semi-critical) categories. The data shows that Mehsana district had the most such assessment units, 10, and the district is among 30 in India that had 10 or more such units. It was followed by Banaskantha with 9 units.

Photo Courtesy : Times Of India

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 : Parth Shashtri

Published On : 13 Feb, 2023

 

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

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

India’s clock is ticking: Water Crisis

Posted on

Photo courtesy:Deposit

With 139 crore population, water scarcity in India is on the rise. More than 50% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water and about 2,00,000 people die every year due to either water scarcity or because of diseases caused due to drinking unhygienic water. India is currently facing the biggest water crisis. As of June 2019, 65% of the country’s reservoirs were running dry.

In India, more than 600 million people are facing acute water scarcity. About three-quarter of households do not have a drinking water facility. Currently, India ranks 120th among 122 countries in the water quality index. By 2030, India’s water demand is expected to be double that of supply that implies not only water scarcity in India for numerous people but also a loss of around 6 per cent to GDP. This underscores the need for strategic interventions to promote water use efficiency, both at the micro and macro level.

You may not know it, or feel it yet, but every aspect of our society and economy is impacted by this worsening situation. In fact, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) described it as “the worst water crisis” in India’s history.

Photo courtesy:Istock

Many rural communities who are situated on the outskirts of urban sprawl also have little choice but to drill wells to access groundwater sources due to water scarcity in India. However, any water system adds to the overall depletion of water. There is no easy answer for water scarcity in India which must tap into water sources for food and human sustenance, but India’s overall water availability is running dry.

India needs solutions now. Children in 100 million homes in the country lack water and one out of every two children are malnourished. Environmental justice needs to be restored to India so that families can raise their children with dignity, and providing water to communities is one such way to best ensure that chance.

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:

GO Waterless

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

Author:   NITIN SHARAM

Published On:  17/03/2021

The water of 37 out of 38 districts of Bihar is not fit for drinking, the government admitted.

Posted on

Earlier in Bihar, arsenic, fluoride and iron were confirmed in groundwater in 28 districts, but now the Deputy Chief Minister admitted that the water in 37 districts was no longer fit for drinking.

In Dhamdaha village of Purnia district of Bihar, yellowness is visible near the hand pump due to excess of iron. Whereas this hand pump has been installed by the government to provide iron free water. Photo: Pushya Mitra

Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi has informed in one of his speeches that the water of 37 out of 38 districts of Bihar is not fit for drinking. These include contamination with fluoride, arsenic and iron. Despite all the efforts of the government, supply of quality drinking water in 31 thousand wards of the state still remains a challenge. He was addressing the 52nd annual conference of the Indian Water Works Association in the auditorium of NIT Patna on Sunday. This admission of Deputy Chief Minister Modi shows that a large population of the state is still in serious danger due to consuming infected drinking water. With this, the scope of infection has increased, because till just a few years ago only 28 districts of the state were under the scope of drinking water contamination.

Earlier there was infection in 28 districts

However, information is still available on the site of the state Public Health Engineering Department based on the 2009 groundwater quality status report only. Information has been given there that 13 districts of the state are affected by excess of arsenic, 11 fluoride and 9 iron. In some of these districts, there are two types of infections, thus the number of groundwater infected districts is said to be 28. Similarly, there is information about iron contamination in the water of 18673 tolas, fluoride contamination in the water of 4157 tolas and arsenic contamination in the water of 1590 tolas. In this way, groundwater of a total of 24,420 hamlets is reported to be infected.

According to the 2009 report, all the districts situated on the banks of Ganga in the state are under the influence of arsenic contamination. All the districts of South Bihar are fluoride infected and nine districts of East Bihar are at risk of iron infection. Some districts of North-West Bihar were till now said to be free from groundwater contamination. But according to new information, they too may have been infected with iron or arsenic. Yesterday the Deputy Chief Minister informed about the contamination of water in 31 thousand wards of 37 districts of the state.

Infection increased in 6,580 hamlets of nine districts

If this information is considered correct, then in the last ten years the infection has spread in the groundwater of 9 districts and 6,580 hamlets. Continuous efforts were made to get information in this regard from the department officials, but they were not available. According to a report available on the department’s site, the target is to provide pure drinking water in these tolas by March 2020. But how much this can be achieved remains to be seen.

Risk of cancer, fluorosis and gas related diseases

The number of cancer patients is continuously increasing in Bihar due to arsenic contamination in groundwater. It is believed that one in every ten thousand people in an arsenic contaminated area is at risk of becoming a victim of cancer. The number of gall bladder cancer patients has increased rapidly in the last few years in Bihar, and arsenic is being considered a major reason behind this. Last year, a joint research by India and UK revealed that wheat grown in arsenic contaminated areas also poses a risk of cancer.

Similarly, fluorosis patients are seen in abundance in many fluoride infected villages of South Bihar. Their bones start becoming crooked. Gas and related diseases are prevalent in iron infected areas.

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: –

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/water/ground-water/37-out-of-38-districts-of-bihar-s-water-is-not-drinkable-government-admitted-68775

 

Author:  Pushya Mitra

Publish On: 13 January 2020

Pune’s Water Crisis: Legal Notices Issued To PMC, PCMCPMRDA; Petitioners Threaten Contempt Petition In High Court

Posted on

The bench had gone into the details of the PIL and took note of the grave situation of water scarcity stated in the PIL in context to the urban areas of Pune district. The Bombay high court had taken note of the above information and had directed that a special committee be constituted separately for PMC and PCMC. And such committees shall attend to the complaints of the residents regarding water scarcity. The PMRDA was also directed to address the water problems faced by the residents coming under their jurisdiction.

Pune, 23rd November 2023: the PIL 126/2023 regarding water problem faced by the residents of urban areas of Pune district was last heard by the division bench headed by acting chief justice SV GANGAPURWALA and justice Sandeep Marne at Bombay high court on 10.04.2023.

The committee is to consist of 1) municipal commissioner 2) divisional commissioner 3) chief city engineer 4) member, secretary, district legal services authority. The committee therefore is to consist of people who are involved in the redressal of the water problem faced by the residents of the affected areas.

Where is the special committee? – citizens ask! Contempt of court petition to be filed.

Satya muley – advocate Bombay high court, stated that a notice was sent to the PMC, PCMC and PMRDA in the month of June 2023 requesting for information about formation of such a special committee. However, none of them responded by giving any information about the formation of the committee. Therefore, it is apparent that PMC, PCMC and PMRDA have not formed any such special committee. Therefore, a fresh legal notice has been issued on 22.11.2023 to PMC, PCMC and PMRDA. If we do not receive the information about formation of the special committee, then a contempt of court petition will be filed against all the respective office bearers who are supposed to be the members of the proposed committee.

PMC, PCMC & PMRDA not serious about water problems of the citizens.

In a similar PIL during 2016-17 the Bombay high court had directed the PMC to form a special committee to attend to the complaints of the residents regarding the water scarcity problem. Adv. Satya muley points PMC had formed such a committee in the past, but the committee met only for 4 times during 2017 and 2018, and very surprisingly was dissolved stating the reason that there was no water scarcity problem. He also pointed out that had such a committee been functional, today the grave situation of water scarcity would not have arisen in urban areas of Pune district. Earlier during the hearing of November 29, 2022, and December 15, 2022, the Bombay high court had expressed serious concerns about the issue and also had warned for imposing fine on the respondents for their slow response.

Water scarcity-current scenario

Several housing societies across Pune district are facing severe water shortages and spend huge amounts for purchase of water from private water tanker operators. Each and every neigh Bourhood of urban area of Pune district coming under PMC, PCMC and PMRDA are facing acute water shortage of drinking and domestic use water. As per ministry of housing and urban affairs, 135 Litres per capita per day (LPCD) has been suggested as the benchmark for urban water supply. The situation is so bad that in several areas of Pune residents are not getting even 20 litres of water supply per head per day. Baner- Balewadi, Wagholi, Hinjawadi, Bavdhan, Pashan, Pimpri Chinchwad, Wakad, Mudhwa and many regions of Pune district are facing severe water crunch, and the urban areas are now under the strong grip of private water tanker mafia. As per one estimate the housing societies in Pune district are spending over 300 to 400 crores per month to purchase daily need water from private water tanker operators. Does this figure provide the reason behind the artificial water scarcity in Pune district? People are forced to spend money for water in urban areas of Pune district.

STOP GIVING PERMISSIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTIONS

Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, adv Satya muley said, “water is a basic necessity of life, and the current state of water supply situation in urban areas of entire Pune district is pathetic. The PMC, PCMCPMRDA and the Pune Zilla parishad should stop giving permissions for new constructions if they are not able to provide water to the existing residents of Pune district. When a problem is existing and known, then in such a case these authorities do not have right to make the problem bigger. Before giving any fresh permission to any new construction, these authorities must attack and solve the water Scarcity problem on war footing. People are losing their patience if the special committee does not start functioning in next couple of weeks, a contempt petition to prosecute all the authorities shall be filed at Bombay high court. Supply of fresh potable water is a constitutional responsibility of all the local bodies under article 243w of the constitution of India and under the s 63 (20) of Maharashtra municipal corporations act. Article 21 of the constitution of India guarantees right to life, and water means life!”

Heavy dependence on ground water

Pune’s heavy dependence on groundwater proves particularly problematic during Maharashtra’s recurrent seasonal droughts. Groundwater serves as a lifeline for lakhs of citizens during these dry spells. However, local authorities have failed to incorporate this essential basic necessity into their planning frameworks, leading to groundwater depletion and the drying up of most wells and borewells post-monsoon.

The ministry of Jal shakti’s guidelines for urban water conservation outlines measures for cities to:

  • increase rainwater harvesting
  • reuse treated grey water and sewage water
  • Rejuvenate urban water bodies, including step wells, ponds, and lakes.

Regrettably, the only noticeable activity is the rampant construction of new buildings, further increasing the Pune district’s population which will create severe water scarcity. The petitioners hope that the high court directed committees be constituted without delay and that they undertake public hearings where citizens can voice their grievances related to water scarcity. The petitioners expect that the committees take requisite steps to ensure that the citizens are provisioned and supplied their rightful water quota.

“we don’t get corporation supply and our dependence is on private water tankers. We don’t understand how building permissions are given without making basic water supply available”, said Tushar Sarode, resident of sus.

“since 2013 our residential buildings do not get a single drop of water from gram panchayat, zilla parishad or PMRDA. We spend lakhs every month to buy private water tankers, till today green olive apartments must have paid crores to local tanker suppliers. What is shocking is that nobody is bothered in the entire government to solve our problems in spite of more than 10 follow up to each authority every year”, added Amrut Khodke, chairman of green olive apartment Hinjawadi.

The petitioners who issued the legal notice and were the original petitioners in the PIL: wagholi housing societies association, Pune district co-operative housing societies and apartments federation, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak panchayat, Pimpri Chinchwad co-operative housing welfare societies federation ltd., Baner – Pashan link road welfare trust, Balewadi residency co-operative housing welfare federation ltd., dear society welfare association, Bavdhan citizens forum, Hinjawadi employees and residents trust, Aundh Vikas Mandal, and association of Nagar road citizens forum noting the outcry in the residents of all urban areas of Pune district due to water scarcity had filed the water PIL at Bombay high court through Satya muley – advocate the supreme court of India and the Bombay high court.

The following parties were made respondents in the water PIL: 1) union of India, department of water resources 2) central ground water board 3) state of Maharashtra – water resources department 4) Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran 5) Maharashtra water resources regulatory authority 6) Pune municipal corporation 7) Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation 8) Pune metropolitan region development authority 9) Zila parishad Pune PIL 126/2022 Satya muley advocate the supreme court & the Bombay high court

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: –

https://www.punekarnews.in/punes-water-crisis-petitioners-threaten-contempt-petition-as-pmc-pcmc-pmrda-stay-silent/

Published on: 23rd November 2023

42 to 79 percent of the world’s groundwater sources will be exhausted by 2050, scientists claim

Posted on

In a new study, researchers found that about 20 percent of river basins have already reached their limit, where groundwater extraction from the ground exceeds that of the stream.

Photo: Ankur Paliwal

Groundwater is the most commonly used source of fresh water throughout the world. According to statistics  , about 200 crore people globally today depend on it for their daily needs and irrigation. According to estimates, 20 percent of the world’s population depends on crops irrigated by groundwater. The pressure on these reserves, which are already under pressure to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population and the continuous increase in crop production, is increasing.

Due to the rapid and uncontrolled way in which we are exploiting groundwater, these groundwater sources are depleting rapidly. On the other hand, these groundwater sources are not being recharged by rain and rivers. Analysis of satellite data obtained by NASA has revealed that the water level of 13 of the world’s 37 major groundwater sources has reached the danger mark. The rate of recharge of groundwater there is much less than the rate of its exploitation. The problem of falling groundwater level is becoming more serious in areas where intensive agriculture is done. Also, due to this, the pressure on rivers to supply water to the agricultural sector is increasing day by day. Assessments show that by 2050, its widespread and serious impacts on rivers, lakes and wetlands around the world will become apparent.

To understand this, an international team of researchers has attempted to measure the rate at which existing groundwater is being mixed into rivers and lakes. Which is called flow of current. He has also studied how the exploitation of groundwater for agriculture has affected this process. The researchers found that about 20 percent of river basins have already reached their limit, where groundwater extraction from the ground exceeds that of the stream. This  study  has been published in the international journal Nature.

Scientists have also used climate change models to predict how river flows will decrease in the future. In which they found that 42 to 79 percent of the world’s groundwater sources will be exhausted by 2050. Due to which they will be unable to maintain their ecosystem. Inge de Graaf, chair of environmental and hydrological systems at the University of Freiburg in Germany, explained what devastating effects this could have in the future.

According to the graph, it is very clear that if there is no water in the stream then definitely the plants and animals living there will die. Also, more than half of the crops which depend on groundwater for irrigation will also be destroyed. According to this latest study published in Nature,  in the valleys of Ganga, Indus and Mexico, where dependence on groundwater for crop production is high, river flow is decreasing due to uncontrolled exploitation and as Africa and Southern Europe The demand for groundwater is increasing in the areas where the impact of serious water crisis will be visible in the coming few years.

The situation is serious in India also

Globally, groundwater is exploited the most in India, where 230 cubic kilometers of groundwater is used every year, which is about a quarter of the global use of groundwater. Scientists have estimated  that in North India, which is the main wheat and rice producing region of the country, groundwater is depleting at the rate of 5,400 crore cubic meters per year. A report released by NITI Aayog  had also expressed concern over the continuously decreasing groundwater level. According to him, by the year 2030, the decline in groundwater in the country will take the form of the biggest crisis. By 2020, groundwater in 21 cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will be on the verge of depletion.

It is noteworthy that to deal with the groundwater crisis, the Modi government had proposed ‘Atal Groundwater Scheme’ in March 2018. Which was to be implemented with the help of the World Bank in a five-year period from 2018-19 to 2022-23. Its goal was to ensure proper and sustainable management of groundwater with everyone’s participation in the seven states of Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which are facing serious groundwater crisis. But due to lack of Cabinet approval, this scheme has been stuck for the last one and a half years.

How can there be a solution?

Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had warned in one of its assessments that by 2050 the global population will cross 1,000 crore. It also explained how the threat of global warming can be tackled through proper water management in the agricultural sector. De Graaf noted that many places in the world have achieved success in limiting groundwater use through agricultural techniques, such as in parts of the Mekong Delta in Southeast Asia where water-intensive rice crops were grown as a pilot project. Coconut is being cultivated in place of sugarcane crops.

If we do not wake up today, our future generations will have to face such a groundwater crisis, the effects of which will be no less than a time bomb. Because of the uncontrolled way in which we are exploiting this resource, and due to this the pressure on groundwater sources is increasing. The consequences would be dire as it would take decades to refill these underground water systems.

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: –

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/water/ground-water/new-study-on-ground-water-resources-67092

 

Author:  Lalit Maurya

Publish On: 04 October 2019

 

Solution to water crisis: This village set an example, opposing borewell

Posted on

The villagers surprised the government and administration by refusing to get a borewell constructed in their village.

Villagers digging wells in Kedia village of Jamui district of Bihar. Photo: Pushyamitra

Pushyamitra

There is a festive atmosphere these days in Kedia village of Jamui district of Bihar. Digging of wells is going on in full swing. 16 wells are to be dug in this only organic village of Bihar. Till now two wells have been completely ready, excavation of the remaining wells is going on. The villagers acquired these wells by fighting with the government. The government wanted to provide them the facility of two state borings, but they said that they only want wells. The underground water level will fall due to boring, some people will get immediate benefit from this, the rest will be deprived. The Bihar government had to bow down to the insistence of the villagers and give permission for the digging of sixteen wells in this village.

Anandi Yadav, a farmer of the village, says, it all started three years ago when Sudhir Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department, came to visit the village. By that time the village had completely adopted organic farming and the Principal Secretary was very happy about this. He had said at that time that when you people are doing so much work then why not give you two state borings for irrigation from the government. But the Principal Secretary was surprised when the people of the village unanimously opposed the state boring and said that if we have to give something then we should give the wells.

After this, a survey of the farmers of the village was conducted and most of the farmers agreed in favor of wells, however, during the survey, some farmers said yes to state boring and the district administration, considering the opinion of those farmers, is preparing to install state boring in Kedia village. Started doing. When the villagers came to know about this, they opposed this plan and gave a written application to the district administration and the state agriculture department that a well should be dug in the village and not a state boring.

After this, when State Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar also came to this village, people told him this. However, even after this the work was not done easily. He had to keep requesting the state government and the district administration. Only then was approval given for 16 wells for the village.

Photo courtesy: villagesquare.in

Today, when wells are being dug in the village, the villagers are very happy. Farmer Sumant Kumar says that ever since organic farming has started in the village, our attitude towards farming has changed. By forming an organization called Jeevit Mati Kisan Samiti, we continuously do new experiments in farming so that the quality of the soil is preserved and our farming can become sustainable. He says that the most interesting thing is that Jamui is considered a water stressed area in Bihar and the water level here is the lowest. But when we are digging wells, water is coming out only at a depth of 17 to 22 feet. We are finding it difficult to collect water.

On Thursday, June 13, State Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar is going to reach Kedia village to lay the foundation stone of these wells. Interestingly, the farmers of the village have also donated 80 decimal land to the state government for these wells at the rate of 5 decimal land per well.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, associated with the organic farming campaign, says that for water conservation, it is very important to conserve soil and increase the amount of organic carbon in it. In this respect, this experiment has its own importance and it is expected that farmers across the state will adopt it. This will help in better conservation of soil and water.

Eklavya Prasad, who is engaged in developing water self-reliance in Bihar through the Megh Pine campaign, says that the way the farmer community has been accepted in Kedia is a big achievement in itself, because the well is the ideal of irrigation with self-management and regulation. The means are there, if anything happens to the well tomorrow, the farmers will not depend on anyone, they can repair it themselves. Under this pretext, the good thinking of the farmers there is also coming to the fore. If the government is digging 16 wells instead of 3-4, then it is also an initiative to promote decentralization, in this respect this decision of the government is also excellent. If water is available there at 17 to 22 feet, then obviously we need to think again about the wells and adopt it. This is positive news not just for Kedia but for entire Bihar. If this campaign is carried forward in a concrete manner then its results will be excellent.

Sanjay Kumar, Deputy Director, Planning and Soil Conservation, State Agriculture Department, calls this experiment very important and says that even though today farmers have to do irrigation through boring, sooner or later the farmers of the state will adopt this model.

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: –

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/water/ground-water/maximum-depth-to-water-level-of-134-mbgl-is-observed-in-bikaner-district-of-rajasthan-65970

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

Publish On: 11 June 2019