Tag: rainwater harvesting

Institutionalizing Climate Change in Urban Sector Background

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India is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts. Due to combined effect of climate challenges and inadequate urban management, cities are frequently facing climate hazards such as urban flooding, heat waves, cyclonic storms, severe and prolonged dry spells, water scarcity, etc. It is pertinent to mention here that the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, took place during October – November 2021 in Glasgow, UK, India committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2070. By 2020, countries submitted their plans for climate action known as nationally determined contributes (NDCs). Urban sector has to play a crucial role in achieving these commitments. Without involving cities India’s climate goals will not be achieved. This paper first explains server terms and strategies in climate change. Second section briefly describes strategy in Germany which is relevant to urban India. This is followed by actions taken by Indian Government on urban climate change and several local urban initiatives. Finally, it makes recommendations for future action.

Understanding Climate Change

Climate change (CC) refers to the increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of time – including precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns. Global warming refers to the rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it is part of CC. The Agreement is international treaty on CC adopted by 196 Parties, December 2015. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

Photo courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Adaptation and Mitigation strategies for climate change are two sides of same coin. Mitigation means making the impacts of climate change less server by preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. Mitigation strategies include retrofitting building to make them more energy efficient; adopting renewable energy sources like solar, wind and small hydro; electric vehicles, and biofuels. Mitigation is short – to medium term measure and can be expensive. Adaptation involves taking appropriate measures to prevent the effects of climate change. Adaptation – adapting to life in a changing climate and involves long term strategies. Adaptation examples development of drought – resistant crops, Lifestyle for Environment (LIFE) Mission proposed by India. Etc.

Institutionalisation of climate change Germany

As an industrialised nation, Germany bears a particularly large responsibility of reducing emission. The Federal Climate Protection Act passed on 15 November 2019, which was amended in 2021. It prescribes legally binding climate targets with annually decreasing greenhouse gas budgets for the sectors of transport, energy, industry, buildings, agriculture and waste managements in Germany. In 2008, the National Climate Initiative (NCI) was established as the most import national source of funding for energy efficiency and climate protection activities by municipalities, companies, educational institutions and consumers from resources of the energy and climate Change fund (EKF) and the federal budget. A consortium of independent research institutes regularly evaluates the NCL and its funding programmes.

Climate protection managers are of fundamental imports for coordinated and well-anchored climate protection activities in municipalities and contribute significantly to implementing learning processes and making them visible in society. The focus of NCI funding is therefore an attractive start-up funding for personnel to strategically anchor climate protection in municipalities. Another measure to actively integrate climate protection into municipal is the introduction of climate checks.

  1. Presently, Independent Director (Nom – Executive )GIFT City Gujarat, Former Director of school of planning and Architecture (SPA) New Delhi and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

  2. Finya Eichhorast and Corinna Altenburg. 2022. “Institutionalisation of climate change in Germany”. German Institut for Urban Affairs/ Deutsches Institut fur Urbanistik gGmbH.

In addition to the actual project funding, the Federal Environment Ministry has set up a Central Knowledge Hub, based at the German Institute of Urban Affairs (DIFU), acts as a central hub for knowledge transfer and is point of contract for all issues relating to municipal climate protection. While Germany has made early efforts and advancements especially in the field of renewable energy, the challenges to achieve the current climate neutrality goal until 2045 are enormous.

Urban India Response

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has stated in the revised National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH 2021) that enabling climate actions intend to address the overarching framework to facilitate adoption and implementation of the sector-wise climate action strategies. These include strategies pertaining to Urban Governance, Capacity Building, Data,Technology & Innovation and Financing mechanism for the mission.

Photo courtesy: Climate centre for cities

MoHUA has undertaken a number of climate sensitive initiatives. It has in 2019, initiated the “Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework” (CSCAF) as step towards holistic, climate-responsive development. The objective of the CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for the cities and, in effect, urban India as a whole towards combating Climate Change (mitigation and adaptation) while planning their actions, including investments. It covers five sectors namely, Urban Planning and green Cover, Energy and Green Building, Mobility and Air Quality, Water Management and Waste Management. The second round of assessment for this framework for 126 Cities was completed in 2021. A “Climate Alliance “has been set up in 2020, which brings together 80 organisations with diverse skills, strengths and resources required for planned Climate action. The CSCAF indictors have been included in the revised National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) document that was released in 2021 and will help in making climate action mandatory for all cities in India. Climate Centre for Cities (C-cube) has been established with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) in 2020.

Local Urban Initiatives

Many cities have taken several sustainable initiatives such as promoting public transport, walking and non-motorised transport, developing Miyawaki forests, introducing energy saving LED Street light, solar panels, electric autos, decentralised collection and treatment of solid waste, and nature-based treatment of sewage. It is interesting to note that many Cities have prepared city climate actions plans. These include Rajkot, Surat, Coimbatore, Kochi, Udaipur etc. Maharashtra State Government has given a mandate to 45 large cities to prepare city climate action plans. Rajkot and Udaipur Climate Resilient City Actions Plans have been approved by their General Boards. Various mitigation and adaptation interventions have been identified for Rajkot based on GHG emission inventory and urban system analysis in line with existing city planning and future projects.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared a Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) in a bid to tackle climate challenges. MCAP included climate resilience with mitigated and adaptation strategies by focusing on six area sustainable waste management, urban greening and biodiversity, urban flooding and water resource management, building energy efficiency, air quality, and sustainable mobility.

With reference to climate change related financing, the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) has led the way by issuing green bonds in April 2021. The issuance of green bonds in India are governed under relevant SEBI regulations in 2017 SEBI and funds raised through issuance of the debt securities are to be utilised for projects which fall under renewable and sustainable energy, clean transportation, sustainable water and waste management and climate change adaptation.

Way Forward

Although urban India has taken several steps to integrate urban climate change in urban sector, more efforts are required to mainstream in the urban sector in India at national, state and city level. Capacity building efforts under urban climate change should be further intensified and also support private sector. Additionally, there is need to integrate climate change issues in the Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation (URDPFI), Guidelines, GIS based master Plan Guidelines, Model Municipal Law 2003 and model Building Bye Laws. There is need to provide specific funding for urban climate change projects and this will require justification of urban climate change funding. Besides, provide incentives for urban climate change actions. Local research and academic institutions should be encouraged to work with cities and state on urban climate change. Innovations have to be through start-ups and urban labs. Moreover, a research study on impact of updated climate targets on projected urbanization pattern should be supported by the Government.

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SOCLEEN Magazine – February 2023

Author: Chetan Vaidya

Published on: February, 2023

5000 years ago, rain water was collected

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Photo courtesy: Divyabhaskar

Discovered at its eastern end along with the white desert after the 2001 earthquake, the unique city of the Indus Valley Civilization has found a global reach. 250 km from Bhuj. And 92 km from Rapar. The harappan city is located near Dholavira on the far side of The Khadir Bet. Khadir Is an island at the eastern end of the great desert of Kutch. It’s a desert. Thousands of years ago, this desert area was filled with huge water. The Indus or The Saraswati river met the Arabian Sea here. So in the real sense, it was the sea that was sinking here, and the villages on the banks of the desert were once inhabited by Harappan settlements. The essence of the saying is that Dholavira was a port in the Harappan town and there was a large-scale import and export from here. Now, after excavation, the city with a systematic urban town planning has come to light, it is spread over an area of 250 acres. Earlier, a huge tank was seen here and people used to call it Kotda Timbo, but now it is famous as Dholavira, one of the five cities of the Indus civilization. It is distinct from others in terms of size. It is divided into three parts. One part belongs to the RajMahal-Raj Bhavan or the residence of all authorities and is protected by a strong fort. Fortification is the city’s special debt. The second part is for a class like high officials, wealthy businessmen. In what archaeologists call the Upper Town, the third part belongs to the general working class, which is the Lower Town. Whether such a structure is part of the varna system of the Rigveda period is a matter of debate. What attracts more attention is that in other Harappan towns the construction is mostly made of bricks, while dholavira is made of square-rectangular stones. The palace is at a high altitude place. The houses for the wealthy merchant-officer class are two to five rooms and have protected walls made of stone. While the houses for the general working class are made of bricks. All the four gates of the palace are of carved stones. This kind of architecture has not been found anywhere else. Next to the palace is a huge playground-stadium. Which is a testimony to the competitive games with the ferocity of the time. A three-meter-long signboard has been found on the northern entrance of the palace. On which there are 10 letters or symbols written with beads. It could possibly be the name of the town or the name of the palace-king. But not only the signboards, but also the definitions received from other Harappan cities have not been resolved. However, the system that has been seen as an invaluable gift to human society as a whole is related to water storage, sewerage system and sanitation. In addition to rainwater harvesting, a network of canals and rivulets has been set up to transport water from distant rivers and streams to the city. There is a large water tank in the palace. Water reaches the palace through this drain. Even if there is a fortification, the flow of water continues as the tunnel is underground. Rainwater reaches reservoirs outside the village through small drains from the roofs of the house. It is surprising to know that there are about 14 to 16 large tanks or reservoirs around Dholavira Harappan town. Imagine all this happened 5000 years ago in India- Kutch. Alas, cleanliness and sanitation were given great importance. There was a private toilet facility. In this context, it has been claimed that the system, which is famously known as Western Toilet, was also here. Such a facility has not been seen in any other civilization of the world 5000 years ago. There is a sewage system here to drain out the used water. The water coming out of each house would go into the pot like a barn outside the house and from there to the gutter. Influenced by Dholavira’s rainwater harvesting method, the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai has emulated it. A well similar to the saloon found during excavation is also an important finding. From here, water can be taken to the houses and palaces of the city. The fountain is released from the top of the bathroom by a small nick.You can take a bath like that. Thousands of items have been found in Kutch during the excavation of the chaid year. There are plenty of clay samples. From pots to toys, but the beads are beautiful. There are copper kilns. A number of items such as seals(mahoras), garlands, tolas, aujaras, animal bones, ornaments, bronze utensils have been found. Which has crossed 59000. At present, all these valuables have been shifted to Delhi due to lack of adequate security. The town was a major export-based trading hub.

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5000,5000 years ago, rainwater used to accumulate. <> years ago, a drop of rainwater was collected – Divya Bhaskar

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Author: Kirti Khatri

Efforts to save water will have to be intensified

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There are about 24 lakh water sources in India. This conclusion has come out in the country’s first water body census. These water sources include both rain and groundwater-rechargeable water sources.

This enumeration done by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (Water Resources) has geo-tagging all the water sources and linked all the ponds, tanks, chakbandhs and water reservoirs to each other on the basis of shadow images and latitude and longitude.

Photo courtesy: down to earth

As per the survey, 83 per cent of the water sources are used for fisheries, irrigation, groundwater-recharge and drinking water. It has also been clarified in this report that contrary to popular belief, encroachment has been found on only 1.6 percent of the reservoirs in this census.

There is no data available on the status of the catchment area of ​​these reservoirs to help determine how much groundwater is being recharged. But it is certain that this calculation is an important initiative in these present times of climate crisis.

We are well aware that the rains are getting more and more uncertain than ever before. Monsoon in India ( who is also considered as our real Finance Minister ) has become more severe now.

It simply means that it is raining in a few days and that too very fast and smoky. That’s why it is very important for us that wherever and however much it rains, we collect each and every drop of it.

From this point of view also, this water body census needs to increase the number of water sources and use well-planned methods to renovate the existing reservoirs, so that they can increase the ground water level by storing maximum rain water. These water reserves will be useful for us during the long season of no rain or drought.

Inevitably, we are bound to get caught in a vicious cycle of devastating drought every year and catastrophic floods every alternate year. But the truth is that this vicious cycle is now a “new normal” for us and it will have disastrous effects on the hydrology of the rivers.

There is only one way to reduce this magnitude of flood and drought, the passion to build lakhs of new reservoirs and connect them together to store rain water. Only by realizing this scheme, water in addition to flood can be stored to deal with the calamity of drought.

The future of our water depends on our judicious use of water. This is the lesson we need to learn from the interesting events of ancient Roma (Rome) and Edo (the city that became Tokyo).

The Romans used to build huge aqueducts, which stretched for ten kilometers each, to transport water to their settlements. Even today these reservoirs are a ubiquitous symbol of water management in their society. 

Experts have admired the Romans because they showed great skill in planning their water supply, but these aqueducts point not to their skill, but to the great Romans’ environmental mismanagement. Rome was built on the banks of the Tiber River. So this city did not need any other aqueduct.

But since Rome’s waste was discharged directly into the Tiber, the river was polluted and water had to be brought from far away. Sources of water were few, so the nobility used the practice of slavery to exploit those sources.

On the other hand, the traditional Japanese never throw their garbage in the rivers. They allowed those wastes to decompose naturally and used them as fertilizer in the fields. Besides rivers, there was no shortage of other sources of water in Edo. Their water supply system was free from any kind of social discrimination.

Photo courtesy:scroll.in

Meanwhile, the good news is that our water literacy has increased as compared to earlier. Over the past decades, the country has learned important lessons and developed a new approach to water management. Till the late 1980s, water management was generally confined to irrigation projects.

Dams and canals were mainly built during this period to store and supply water over long distances. But it was only then that the country faced a major famine in the late eighties and it became clear that simply increasing the amount of water through large projects was not enough.

At the same time the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) also published its report “Dying Wisdom”. The report mentioned the traditional techniques used for rainwater harvesting in India’s ecologically diverse regions.

The slogan of the report was – Rain falls not in one place, but in different places and its need is also in different places, so whenever and wherever it rains, its water needs to be saved then and there.

Today, many programs have been created with the aim of creating and reviving water sources. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is already making a significant contribution in the construction of a large number of reservoirs.

Apart from this, the government has just announced Mission Amrit Sarovar, under which there is a plan to develop and revive 75 water sources in each district of the country to mark the completion of 75 years of India’s independence.   

Despite the interest in decentralizing water management, it is sure that not enough is being done to secure its future. The real reason for this is that there is no uniformity in our bureaucracy in policy-making regarding land and water.

The maintenance of the ponds is the responsibility of one agency, while the drainage and the catchment area are the responsibility of two different agencies. These rules need to be changed to conserve water.

Water management can be done more effectively by expanding the control of local communities over water sources and for this strengthening the roots of democracy and devolution of rights is necessary.  

But more important than all these things is to reduce the use of water in terms of quantity and spend every drop of it carefully. For this, there is a need to bring changes in the methods of irrigation, household appliances and food habits, so that we can choose our food crops economically from the water point of view.

It is high time, in the coming decade, we rewrite the water story in India by drawing lessons from our best practices. It’s very simple. For this we have to make this work the only major goal of our life.

We have to remember that water is related to our livelihood. It is related to our food and nutrition. It is related to the future of man.

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https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/water/water-conservation/efforts-to-save-water-will-have-to-be-intensified-89000

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Author: Sunita Narain

Publish On: 27 April 2023

Water crisis paralyses normal life in Belagavi city

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BELAGAVI: The prevailing water crisis has affected normal life in Belagavi city with educational institutions planning to switch to online classes, hospitals postponing minor surgeries and industries reducing the number of working hours.

Photo courtesy: pinterest

St Paul’s English Medium School, one of the prestigious educational institutions in north Karnataka, has decided to switch to online mode from Monday due to shortage of water. St Paul’s School falls under the Belagavi Cantonment Board (BCB), where water crisis has reached its peak. The school, with a strength of 2,200 students, on Friday had announced plans for online classes from Saturday and later postponed that to Monday as parents of one of the students have supplied two tanker water. A few more schools will switch to online classes if the city doesn’t get rain in a day or two.

Father Savio Abreu, principal of the school, said that the campus has an open well and a borewell which have completely dried up following which it was decided to go online. “Water supplied by a parent on Friday was used on Saturday and we would switch to online classes from Monday if we fail to get water till Sunday night,” he said.

Father Sebastian Pereira, vice principal of the school, said that it was the prime responsibility of the school to provide safe drinking water to students, apart from toilets and washrooms.

The Rakaskop reservoir, one of the primary sources of water for Belagavi city, has just half-a-feet of mud water. The district administration is supplying water in tankers to the rural areas. Things would turn from bad to worse if the city doesn’t receive rain within a week.

Many private hospitals that buy water have postponed minor surgeries and are attending to only emergency cases.

Photo courtesy: Adobe Stock

As the water sources have gone dry, many government district hospitals are already following the same.

The 1,000-bedded district hospital in Belagavi, which is attached to Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), has planned to buy water from private water sellers. Since the cost was not affordable, the institute, which has a medical college, has planned to send the students of the hostels to their native places so that it can utilise available water for inpatients.

BIMS director Dr Ashok Shetty said that there is no alternative than supplying water to inpatients, mainly those in the maternity wards. Industries in Belagavi have also reduced the number of working shifts due to scarcity of water, which is affecting the economic sector. Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and

Industries former chairman Vikas Kalghatagi said many industries have been closed down and some are reducing the number of working hours.

City Corporation commissioner Rudresh Chali said: “We are responding to serious problems. City Corporation has proposed to disilt and recharge wells to get water.”

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Publish On: Jun 18, 2023

Water conservation in real estate: A necessity for India’s sustainable future

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Water scarcity is a major issue in India, with the majority of the population having insufficient access to safe and potable water. The problem is exacerbated by a rapidly growing population, unplanned urbanization, and droughts caused by climate change. As it is one of our basic necessities, it becomes essential to conserve this precious resource. With the real estate sector being one of India’s largest consumers of water, it is critical to accelerate and implement water conservation measures in this sector to ensure sustainable development. 

Photo courtesy: Istock

Water Crisis: The Current Scenario

Quenching the thirst of India’s 18% of the world’s population, while using only 4% of its water resources makes India one of the world’s most water-stressed countries. As per a report by NITI Aayog, many Indians experience high to extreme water stress. This difficulty is aggravated by India’s dependence on the monsoon, which is becoming more unpredictable for its water needs. Even as the country experiences more floods and droughts, climate change is likely to make this pressure on water resources worse.

The water crisis is not limited to rural areas, as urban areas are also experiencing severe water scarcity. The major reason for this is the ever-increasing population. Taking an example of one of the largest metropolises, Mumbai alone needs over 4200 million litres of water per day but manages to distribute about 3850 million litres of water per day. And interestingly, as per the newspaper reports, this demand is likely to go up to 6424 million litres per day by 2041. How will this large metropolis be able to source such huge quantities of water? Currently, the city of Mumbai relies on lakes and dams, but what comes next? Urbanisation has resulted in the devastation of natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and ponds, further aggravating the crisis.

Role of Real Estate in Mitigating the Water Crisis

Real estate, which is a crucial component of any urban foundation, can help mitigate the problem by implementing innovative water-saving and recycling solutions. The developer community is taking effective measures to contribute to this cause. 

Earlier, a lot of water wastage happened owing to the usage of drinking water in construction activities, but this is not the case anymore. Due to stricter government policies and to contribute to this natural resource from becoming extinct, real estate developers started taking efforts to use non-drinking water. However, this has now become a practice where developers rely on underground water resources or non-potable water and have water recycling plants on site to reduce this wastage. 

Photo courtesy: Myloview

Additionally, it is now mandatory for developers to install rainwater harvesting system and grey water recycling systems that can help reuse wastewater for non-potable purposes such as cleaning and flushing. Along with developers, individual property owners, too, are using water-efficient systems and fixtures, such as low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets, and water-saving appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers. This would not only reduce water consumption but also save money on water bills. 

Adding to these efforts, many developers today strive for green certification and rating systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Energy Star. These provide a framework for developers to implement sustainable practices in real estate. These certification programs can incentivize the adoption of water conservation practices and make real estate more environmentally friendly.

Additionally, real estate developers can promote sustainable landscaping techniques that use less water. Native plants that need less water for irrigation, permeable surfaces that let water seep into the ground, and mulch that keeps moisture in the soil are all components of sustainable landscaping. Furthermore, sustainable landscaping encourages biodiversity, which increases the site’s ecological value.

While the government is taking efforts to carry out all the important measures to conserve water, a lot of education and awareness is still needed. Along with real estate developers, individual property owners, occupants, and tenants should also contribute to significantly reduce water consumption.

The real estate industry has a significant impact on water consumption, and conservation and implementing sustainable practices can help preserve our planet’s most precious resource. By incorporating efficient water management systems, the real estate industry can contribute to water conservation and help create a more sustainable future. On this World Water Day, let us commit to protecting our planet’s water resources and working towards a better future. Let’s accelerate this process and be the change that we want to see!

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/water-conservation-in-real-estate-a-necessity-for-indias-sustainable-future/

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Author: Nirav Dalal

Publish On: April 9, 2023

As water level depletes, Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh villages faces acute water crisis

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HAZARIBAGH: Around 400 families residing at tribal- dominated Patal village under Patal panchayat of Keredari block are reeling under acute drinking water crisis.

Photo courtesy: water Aid

Village head Neha Lakra said, “The groundwater table has depleted, making it difficult to collect drinking water from the only well that was dug in the village. Villagers have to travel around two to three kilometres to fetch water from the springs and streams located on the fringes of the village during summer.”

Villager Nageshwar Munda said, “There is only one well in the village which gives muddy water. We have been demanding arrangements to meet our potable water requirements for long.”

Another villager, Mohan Karmali, said ‘There are around 400 households in the village. Hence, the water woes being faced by residents is a perennial problem here.”

“The Prime Minister’s ‘har ghar nal’ project to provide drinking water to each house is merely a dream for us as no team from either the Centre or the district has visited the village since the launch of the programme. The block authorities are yet to release funds for the construction of deep boring wells and hand pumps to ensure drinking water supply to the villagers,” Lakra alleged.

Refuting Lakra’s allegations against the block office, Keredari block development officer (BDO) Kishto Kumar Besra said he has received no application from her related to the water woes.

Photo courtesy: Istockphoto

Social activist Devendra Singh Deo said there is no well or hand pump at Puranpania village under Dadighaghar panchayat, which was once the den of Maoists, of Ichak block in the district. The poor villagers have to fetch filthy water from the Banhe Baba Nala. They have acquainted MLA of the Barkatha Ichak constituency Amit Yadav and MP and Union minister Annapurna Devi about the non- existence of hand pumps and wells at the village but no steps have been taken to redress the problems, he alleged.

A resident of Puranpania village, Ramesh Majhi, said they have met the local representatives, seeking help. “Collecting water from a stream down the hill is not an easy task. We have approached local MLA Amit Yadav and MP Annapurna

Devi, but are yet to hear from them,” he lamented.

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Author : Abhijit Sen

Publish On: Apr 27, 2023

Green Building: From the Romantic to the Necessary

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The history of architectural discourse in the last few decades in South Asia, is replete with references to many architects who in their buildings espoused a sustainable or an ecological sensitive approach to their design. These handful of architects have been a source of reference and inspiration for generation of architects and in their own small ways many new generation of practices continue this great traditions. However most such practices are “boutique” in nature and very few have the impact at larger scale and volumes. So the pursuit of the “green” often ends up being a private indulgence of a few thereby resulting in sidelining of the larger issue of sustainable development.

Photo courtesy: Re-thinking the future

The climate crisis is perhaps the single most important moment in history in recent times and it would demand new ways of imagination and practice. The two areas that will need a lot of attention would be architectural education and building bye laws. For example the question of green buildings or sustainable development cannot be now limited to a few courses “environment and ecology” but will need to have an overarching effect on all the courses that are taught. The aim should be to inculcate a “habit” amongst young students of thinking about sustainability. One might begin by asking tough questions such as “Do we really need to built? Or can I not reuse an existing rather than built?” And how does one structure studio courses or even construction courses so that working with less and being sensitive to environment almost becomes second nature to students. There is a lot of possibility to relook at both curriculum and pedagogy in architectural schools.

Photo courtesy: slideshare.net

Whereas we do find many architectural graduate enter the world of practice with idealism in their eyes, but soon they surrender themselves to the demands of the practice that caters to new development. In the absence of effective bye- laws that incentivise green building, it is impossible to have any major impact on the climate and the question of sustainability will remain a lip service. Building material energy ratings, predictive models for estimating energy consumption in proposed buildings would be the first step towards incorporating the same in building blue laws. This would need a major redesign of building bye laws and its implementation. However, one may begin from offering tax waivers to properties that demonstrate sustainable construction practices. A good simple manual for architects and builders can be the first step in this direction. But perhaps a real beginning can and should be made in all the construction undertaken by government departments and local bodies. These can then become role models examples of “green buildings” for the rest of the architects and developer community to emulate.

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SOCLEEN MAGAZINE – FEBRUARY 2023

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Author:  Prof. Pratyush Shankar

Publish On: February 2023

 

RO water consumers at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency

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VADODARA: Vegetarians, people with unnatural dark complexion and those who consume purified water through reverse osmosis (RO) systems are more likely to suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.

 

Photo courtesy: Time Of India

A study conducted at SSG Hospital has found this. The study has revealed that RO water consumption is an emerging risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency, as cobalt, an essential component of vitamin B12, gets removed through the RO system.

For the study, 160 patients with B12 deficiency and 160 patients with B12 within normal limit were included.
“It was a case control study in which all the patients visiting our hospital with symptoms suggestive of B12 deficiency and serum B12 level below 200 pg/ml were included. At the same time, patients coming to our department and found to be having serum vitamin B12 level above 200 pg/ml were also included in the study as controlled group,” said Dr Sangita V Patel, additional professor at Department of Community Medicine of Baroda Medical College.

Patel had guided the study that was carried out by Dr Alpesh Makwana with the help of physicians Dr Archana Gandhi and Dr Vipul Bhavsar.

The team carried out multivariate analysis to ascertain risk factors affecting Vitamin B12 deficiency using logistic regression model.

“We identified RO water being used for drinking purpose to be a major risk factor affecting Vitamin B12 deficiency. Those having vegetarian diet and unnatural dark complexion or unnatural change in skin color were also at high risk of developing the deficiency,” she said.
Those who used RO water for drinking experienced 3.61 higher odds of vitamin B12 deficiency compared to controls. Similarly, those with dark complexion had 2.53 higher chances of vitamin B12 deficiencies as compared to the controls and those who were vegetarian had 2.007 higher odds of vitamin B12 deficiencies as compared to the controls.

“Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient required for various bodily functions, including the production of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and nerve function,” she said.

The study states that there are three reasons behind adverse health effects of consuming demineralised water.

While the RO system removes cobalt, an essential component of vitamin B12, resulting in B12 deficiency, the reduced absorption of vitamin B12 available in diet due to low mineralized water causes chronic atrophic gastritis.

 

“Additionally, the RO system also removes microorganisms responsible for endogenous production of vitamin B12 directly or indirectly. The longer the duration of RO water consumption, the more likely the possibility of developing vitamin B12 deficiency,” the study states.

 

Doctors said that meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are good dietary sources of vitamin B12. “However, vegans who avoid consuming even milk and milk products and vegetarians are at a higher risk of developing the deficiency as plant-based sources of vitamin B12 are limited,” she said.

 

She said that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause unnatural skin darkening and even hyperpigmentation. “The unnatural darkening of the skin or in some cases, hyperpigmentation is caused due to excess melanin production as vitamin B12 deficiency interferes with the melanin production in the body. So, if your skin appears unnaturally dark or dull it indicates that you have be suffering from vitamin deficiency,” she said.

 

“At the same time, pigmentary changes in the form of pigmentation of knuckles, oral mucosa, and Addisonian pigmentation have also been described in Vitamin B12 deficiency,” she added.

 

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://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/ro-water-consumers-at-risk-of-vitamin-b12-deficiency/articleshow/99628650.cms?from=mdr

 

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Author: Prashant Rupera

 

Publish On: April 20, 2023.

 

 

It’s a 15% water cut, but many areas in Mumbai dryor down to a trickle

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MUMBAI: Citizens from several areas in Mumbai have been complaining about the lack of water supply in their localities. Some have even said that they have not been receiving water at all or are getting only a trickle, and are having to depend on water tankers and bottled water for drinking.

Starting from March 31 onwards, the BMC had announced a 15%water cut all across Mumbai for the next 30 days. This was due to the tunnel carrying water to Mumbai getting damaged in Thane. The tunnel was damaging during the digging of a borewell subsequently causing a massive leakage. Again last week, the city’s water main was damaged at Kopri in Thane aggravating the situation. The BMC is estimated to spend Rs 13 crore for the repairs, which it said it would recover from the builder whose workers damaged the tunnel in Wagale Estate.

Renu Kapoor, a Colaba resident said that there has not been a drop of water in their society leaving them with no option but depend on water tankers. “Our supply hours are in the evenings daily and since the last two days we have not been getting any water. The situation has completely caught us unaware and we are resorting to using bottled water for drinking purposes,” said Kapoor.

Photo courtesy: Salahuddin

Ajay Multani, another Colaba resident said that initially as there was reserve water in their tank they could manage, however, when water did not come for the second day the situation got worse. “On Sunday, also we got water for hardly ten minutes. The problem is across all buildings in Colaba,” said Multani.

Former Bandra corporator Asif Zakaria said that the problem was in their locality too. “While a 15% cut has been officially announced but its way beyond it with over 50% reduction in water supply. Fague ends are getting nowhere at all and the water tankers that the BMC is providing is clearly insufficient,” said Zakaria.

Photo courtesy: Hindustan Time

Residents in areas like Gowalia Tank area also complained off no water supply. “We visited the hydraulic department of the BMC however they could not commit till when the issue would be resolved,” said a resident.

When contacted, additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu said on Monday a meeting was conducted to assess the situation. “There were some augmentation measures done. The issue should settle down Tuesday night and Wednesday,” he said.

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://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/its-a-15-water-cut-but-many-areas-in-mumbai-dry-or-down-to-a-trickle/articleshow/99252346.cms?from=mdr

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Author: Richa Pinto

Publish On: April 04, 2023.

RooftopRainwater Harvesting for House

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Water is our most precious natural resource and essential for all life and it plays an important role in transforming the lives of people to better and healthier one. Do you know that the scarcity of water continue to be a growing problem. But the best way to conserve water is its judicious use. Demand for processed supply water is rising day by day due to an increasing population, urbanization, industrialization.

Nowadays, access to sufficient amount of water is a major issue to most people living in both rural and urban areas. Now, how to overcome from this? Well, here you go. Rainwater harvesting is the most acceptable and viable solution to help solve water crisis problems for various sectors. To this day, the concept of rooftop rainwater harvesting for house has been accepted all over the world.

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting for House

  1. What is rainwater harvesting and why is it important?

Rainwater is one of the purest sources of water available as it contains very low impurities. Harvesting rainwater is an ancient practice and you might have thought why are we practicing it? Because, till today this valuable practice in growing in popularity due to its various benefits in our modern times. Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the most acceptable and sustainable method/solution to attenuate water crisis issues in the both rural and urban areas all over the world. The system involves simple collection and storing of rainwater from surfaces it falls so that it can be used for later use (domestic, commercial or agriculture purposes).

Now, the time to take initiative for rainwater harvesting for houses has arrived. Why because the idea behind the process of rainwater harvesting is very simple. Rainwater harvesting, in its broadest sense, is a modern way of saving water at home/house. Rainwater harvesting has brought more relief during times of droughts. It is the best possible way to save water and invoke the society towards the importance of water. So, it really makes sense to set up a rainwater harvesting system now.

  1. How can you do rainwater harvesting for house?

Over the last few years, major parts of the world have been facing continuous inadequate water supply. So, it’s all-important to take adequate measures to meet the increasing demands of water for domestic use. Have you implemented rainwater harvesting system for your house? If YES, then it’s great! If No, then it’s not too late. Even, now also you can implement the system to reduce your demand on mains water supply. Rooftop and surface runoff are the rainwater harvesting methods. Choosing the right method for harvesting rainwater is essential to making your home more sustainable and such method is the rooftop rainwater harvesting method.

Basically, urban and rural models are the two models associated with rainwater harvesting for houses.

  1. Rural model:

In rural areas, house roofs are built with sheets or bricks and etc. Here, rainwater comes to the edges easily and hence water can be collected through rain gutters. Rural people use fine cloth material to filter the rainwater from the roof. Here, collected water can be used to store water either for domestic use, livestock, or for agricultural needs.

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting for Rural House

  1. Urban model:

Here, rainwater from the house roof is collected through rainwater gutters and stored in a storage tank. The system is designed to support both potable and non-potable needs of the family at their doorstep. Rooftop rainwater harvesting for recharging groundwater is a common practice implemented in individual houses.

Rainwater Harvesting for Urban House

End use of harvested rainwater at homes: garden/lawn irrigation, toilet flushing, Laundry, car washing, showering/bathing, and even for drinking (by using water treatment methods).

Rainwater harvesting for house systems (Rural model and Urban model) comprises some basic components and are as follows:

  1. A catchment area: Rooftop of the house will be the area to capture rainfall.
  2. A conveyance system: To move the captured rainwater from the roof to a storage area (maybe piping)
  3. A storage system: To hold the rainwater for future use — a barrel, a cistern or a tank
  4. A distribution system: To get the water from storage to where it is being used

 3. Top benefits of installing rainwater harvesting system for your house

Some of the top benefits of collecting and storing rainwater for your homes are listed below:

  1. Greatly promotes water conservation and saves money on water bills
  2. Excellent and valuable source of water in the emergencies
  3. The system is easy to install, operate and maintain for all types of houses with less investment
  4. This system can be set up for houses in rural, suburban and as well as urban areas
  5. Reduces rainwater runoff and solve drainage problems at your house
  6. The system saves water at home by diminishing the dependency on ground water and municipal water supply
  7. It is an ideal solution in the areas, which faces the inadequacy of water
  8. Substantially reduces the consumption of potable water for various purposes

“Rainwater harvesting for house is the best and effective way to end water scarcity at your house and it enhances green living too!”

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.neoakruthi.com/blog/rainwater-harvesting-for-house.html

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