Tag: water crisis

One of the world’s biggest cities may be just months away from running out of water

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Photo Courtesy: Henry Romero/Reuter

Mexico City CNN —  Alejandro Gomez has been without proper running water for more than three months. Sometimes it comes on for an hour or two, but only a small trickle, barely enough to fill a couple of buckets. Then nothing for many days.

Gomez, who lives in Mexico City’s Tlalpan district, doesn’t have a big storage tank so can’t get water truck deliveries — there’s simply nowhere to store it. Instead, he and his family eke out what they can buy and store.

When they wash themselves, they capture the runoff to flush the toilet. It’s hard, he told CNN. “We need water, it’s essential for everything.”

Water shortages are not uncommon in this neighborhood, but this time feels different, Gomez said. “Right now, we are getting this hot weather. It’s even worse, things are more complicated.”

Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis of nearly 22 million people and one of the world’s biggest cities, is facing a severe water crisis as a tangle of problems — including geography, chaotic urban development, and leaky infrastructure — are compounded by the impacts of climate change.

Years of abnormally low rainfall, longer dry periods, and high temperatures have added stress to a water system already straining to cope with increased demand. Authorities have been forced to introduce significant restrictions on the water pumped from reservoirs.

“Several neighborhoods have suffered from a lack of water for weeks, and there are still four months left for the rains to start,” said Christian Domínguez Sarmiento, an atmospheric scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Politicians are downplaying any sense of crisis, but some experts say the situation has now reached such critical levels that Mexico City could be barreling towards “day zero” in a matter of months — where the taps run dry for huge swaths of the city.

Historic lows

Densely populated Mexico City stretches out across a high-altitude lake bed, around 7,300 feet above sea level. It was built on clay-rich soil — into which it is now sinking — and is prone to earthquakes and highly vulnerable to climate change. It’s perhaps one of the last places anyone would choose to build a megacity today.

The Aztecs chose this spot to build their city of Tenochtitlan in 1325, when it was a series of lakes. They built on an island, expanding the city outwards, constructing networks of canals and bridges to work with the water.

But when the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, they tore down much of the city, drained the lakebed, filled in canals and ripped out forests. They saw “water as an enemy to overcome for the city to thrive,” said Jose Alfredo Ramirez, an architect and co-director of Groundlab, a design and policy research organization.

Photo Courtesy : Cesar Rodriguez/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Their decision paved the way for many of Mexico City’s modern problems. Wetlands and rivers have been replaced with concrete and asphalt. In the rainy season, it floods. In the dry season, it’s parched.

Around 60% of Mexico City’s water comes from its underground aquifer, but this has been so over-extracted that the city is sinking at a frightening rate — around 20 inches a year, according to recent research. And the aquifer is not being replenished anywhere near fast enough. The rainwater rolls off the city’s hard, impermeable surfaces, rather than sinking into the ground.

The rest of the city’s water is pumped vast distances uphill from sources outside the city, in an incredibly inefficient process, during which around 40% of the water is lost through leaks.

The Cutzamala water system, a network of reservoirs, pumping stations, canals and tunnels, supplies about 25% of the water used by the Valley of Mexico, which includes Mexico City. But severe drought has taken its toll. Currently, at around 39% of capacity, it’s been languishing at a historic low.

“It’s almost half of the amount of water that we should have,” said Fabiola Sosa-Rodríguez, head of economic growth and environment at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City.

In October, Conagua, the country’s national water commission, announced it would restrict water from Cutzamala by 8% “to ensure the supply of drinking water to the population given the severe drought.”

Just a few weeks later, officials significantly tightened restrictions, reducing the water supplied by the system by nearly 25%, blaming extreme weather conditions.

“Measures will have to be taken to be able to distribute the water that Cutzamala has over time, to ensure that it does not run out,” Germán Arturo Martínez Santoyo, the director general of Conagua, said in a statement at the time.

The exposed banks of the Villa Victoria Dam, part of the Cutzamala System, in Villa Victoria, Mexico on January 26, 2024.

Photo Courtesy :Raquel Cunha/Reuters

Around 60% of Mexico is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to a February report. Nearly 90% of Mexico City is in severe drought — and it’s set to get worse with the start of the rainy season still months away.

“We are around the middle of the dry season with sustained temperature increases expected until April or May,” said June Garcia-Becerra, an assistant professor in engineering at the University of Northern British Columbia.

Natural climate variability heavily affects this part of Mexico. Three years of La Niña brought drought to the region, and then the arrival of El Niño last year helped deliver a painfully short rainy season that failed to replenish the reservoirs.

But the long-term trend of human-caused global warming hums in the background, fueling longer droughts and fiercer heat waves, as well as heavier rains when they do arrive.

“Climate change has made droughts increasingly severe due to the lack of water,” said UNAM’s Sarmiento. Added to this, high temperatures “have caused the water that is available in the Cutzamala system to evaporate,” she said.

Last summer saw brutal heat waves roil large parts of the country, which claimed at least 200 lives. These heat waves would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, according to an analysis by scientists.

The climate impacts have collided with the growing pains of a fast-expanding city. As the population booms, experts say the centralized water system has not kept pace.

‘Day zero?’

The crisis has set up a fierce debate about whether the city will reach a “day zero,” where the Cutzamala system falls to such low levels that it will be unable to provide any water to the city’s residents.

Local media widely reported in early February that an official from a branch of Conagua said that without significant rain, “day zero” could arrive as early as June 26.

But authorities have since sought to assure residents there will be no day zero. In a press conference on February 14, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that work was underway to address the water problems. Mexico City’s mayor, Martí Batres Guadarrama, said in a recent press conference that reports of day zero were “fake news” spread by political opponents.

Conagua declined CNN’s interview requests and did not answer specific questions on the prospect of a day zero.

But many experts warn of a spiraling crisis. Mexico City could run out of water before the rainy season arrives if it carries on using it in the same way, Sosa-Rodríguez said. “It’s probable that we will face a day zero,” she added.

This doesn’t mean a complete collapse of the water system, she said, because the city isn’t dependent on just one source. It won’t be the same as when Cape Town in South Africa came perilously close to running totally dry in 2018 following a severe multi-year drought. “Some groups will still have water,” she said, “but most of the people won’t.”

Raúl Rodríguez Márquez, president of the non-profit Water Advisory Council, said he doesn’t believe the city will reach a day zero this year — but, he warned, it will if changes are not made.

“We are in a critical situation, and we could reach an extreme situation in the next few months,” he told CNN.

‘I don’t think anyone is prepared’

For nearly a decade, Sosa-Rodríguez said she has been warning officials of the danger of a day zero for Mexico City.

She said the solutions are clear: Better wastewater treatment would both increase water availability and decrease pollution, while rainwater harvesting systems could capture and treat the rain, and allow residents to reduce their reliance on the water network or water trucks by 30%.

Fixing leaks would make the system much more efficient and reduce the volume of water that has to be extracted from the aquifer. And nature-based solutions, such as restoring rivers and wetlands, would help provide and purify water, she said, with the added advantage of greening and cooling the city.

In a statement on its website, Conagua said it is undertaking a 3-year project to install, develop and improve water infrastructure to help the city cope with decreases in the Cutzamala system, including adding new wells and commissioning water treatment plants.

But in the meantime, tensions are rising as some residents are forced to cope with shortages, while others — often in the wealthier enclaves — remain mostly unaffected.

“There is a clear unequal access to water in the city and this is related to people’s income,” Sosa-Rodríguez said. While day zero might not be here yet for the whole of Mexico City, some neighborhoods have been grappling with it for years, she added.

Photo Courtesy : Henry Romero/Reuters

Amanda Martínez, another resident of the city’s Tlalpan district, said for people here, water shortages are nothing new. She and her family often have to pay more than $100 for a tank of water from one of the city’s water trucks. But it’s getting worse. Sometimes more than two weeks can go by without water and she fears what may be coming, she told CNN.

“I don’t think anyone is prepared.”

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

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CNN

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Author : Laura Paddison, Jack Guy and Fidel Gutiérrez

Published On: 25, February, 2024

 

Rainwater harvesting at your home in four simple steps

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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

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Publish On: : Aug 16, 2021

Rainwater harvesting a lifeline for 900 families

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Photo Courtesy : The Hindu

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

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

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

Photo Courtesy : engineering and architecture

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

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

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

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Times Of India

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Author : Times Of India

Published On : 22 Mar, 2017

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

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Photo Courtesy: Mumbai Mirror

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mumbai Mirror

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Author : Richa Pinto

Published On: 21, January, 2024

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

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Photo Courtesy : Pune Pulse

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

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

Important minutes of meeting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Publish On: 15, January, 2024

Rainwater Harvesting: A Viable Means To Prevent Water Crisis

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Photo courtesy:Istock

“Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink”

These all too familiar lines from the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge seem to be ringing too close to home as water becomes an increasingly scarce resource with every passing day.

Water Crisis was ranked as the #5 Global Risk in terms of impact on society by the World Economic Forum in January 2020, making it an alarming issue requiring an earnest redressal. What is interesting is that it is not really about scarcity, but rather proper water management. To quote the World Water Council, “There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. The crisis is managing water so badly that billions of people — and the environment — suffer badly.”1

For sustainability, a healthy relationship between natural cycles and the available natural resources is a must. To further this objective and protect the existing reservoirs, rivers, aquifers, and ecosystems from further destruction, one needs to harness the largest and most accessible resource currently going down the drain: Rain.

What is noteworthy is that harnessing rain neither requires no energy nor any natural resource; on the contrary, it helps preserve the much-needed fast depleting resource: Water.

Rainwater harvesting is an ancient concept that is simple to implement and scalable. Simply put, it is the act of collecting rainwater and storing it for later use.

Rainwater harvesting systems have many an avatar, from the basic rain barrels to collect rainwater to more intricate structures with pumps, tanks, and purification systems.

Rainwater collected through any system is fit for reuse. Without filtration and purification, it finds use in most functions minus consumption — e.g., flushing toilets, washing cars, irrigation etc. Once put through the purification process, it is fit for consumption as well.

In urban areas, the rain falls on roofs, buildings, roads, and other impenetrable hard surfaces, resulting in urban flooding giving rise to another set of challenges. This makes rainwater harvesting even more essential and advantageous. Urban flooding on one hand, and increasing water shortage on the other, is the driving force behind government norms to inculcate the culture of rainwater harvesting in more and more cities.

Let us take the case of Mexico City as an example. It is a city with one of the highest demands for water in the world. Today it is plagued by drying aquifers, the city to sink to the earth by 50 centimeters per year. Today it is estimated that while a large volume is lost every way on account of leaking water pipes across the water management system, heavy rains cause heavy flooding that leaves substantial damage behind every occurrence.2 Researchers confirm that if the city was to adopt an effective rainwater harvesting system, 60 percent of the city’s water needs could be met.3 In light of this, Isla Urbana, a local non-profit, has installed 20,399 rainwater harvesting systems from 2009 to date. The systems have recorded a harvest of 815 million liters annually.4 Mexico City’s water authority, SACMEX, has also installed rainwater harvesting systems in 85 schools in the Tlalpan and Alvaro Obregón boroughs.

Likewise, India — a country that can collect up to 1,000 liters of water or even more during the heavy monsoons — has shown a similar response. In the southern state of Kerala, the government has recently constructed around 87,000 rainwater harvesting pits across schools, offices, and residences,5 with the expectation of these pits to last up to five years, with minimum maintenance.

Following the trend, Singapore installed a rainwater harvesting system on the roof of a 15-story skyscraper. The system diverts the rainwater collected on the roof to two rainwater tanks. This water is supplied to the building’s toilets, with no processing or treatment — a demonstration of how a project like this can be successfully implemented in metropolitan cities such as New York with countless high-rises to cater to their equally high water demands (981 million gallons consumption per day, as of 20206).

But New York is hardly a city to miss out on the ongoing trends. NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection recently initiated a Rain Barrel Giveaway Program as part of their $2.4 billion Green Infrastructure Plan. Its objective is to encourage citizens to capture stormwater before it flows into the sewer system. The intention being to reduce sewer overflows into local waterways by 2030.

 

Photo courtesy:India Mart

The world is slowly but surely waking up to the fact that rainwater harvesting systems need to be an essential part of the infrastructure. Irrespective of the intricacies, all rainwater harvesting systems require five fundamental components:

Catchment – The surface to collect rainwater. It could be a rooftop, a paved flooring surface, or a landscaped region. The volume of water you harvest is a function of the surface area of the catchment.

Gutters and conduit Pipes – They are responsible for directing the water to the storage tank. The most widely used materials for these are half-round pipes made of galvanized iron (GI), steel, aluminum, and uPVC, with GI, steel, and aluminum being the preferred options. Lead and other metal gutters (GI and steel) are not a wise choice for potable water systems. The slightly acidic quality of rain can dissolve lead and other heavy metal contained in gutter solders, contaminating the water supply.

The safest option to get the most usable rainwater is uPVC Pipes. They deliver faithfully on the promise of:

  • water with no harmful metals lacing it;
  • no leakages on account of corrosion over the years;
  • their almost frictionless surface allows for the maximum quantity of water to flow to the storage system;
  • their lighter weight allows for installation virtually anywhere.

Filters and first flush devices – Investing in the correct filtration device is a must. The filtration system should be one that can effectively remove harmful and polluting contaminants. A first flush valve flushes out the first spell of rain, which carries relatively more toxins from the catchment surface and air.

Storage tanks – An important component of the system. Depending on the space availability, they can be overhead, underground, or stacked. Common materials used for these tanks are poly, galvanized steel, and concrete. If the tank is above ground, measures to prevent algae growth will be needed.

Delivery systems – Piping systems that deliver the stored and filtered rainwater until the point of use. The material of pipes used for this purpose is the same as that of conduit pipes. uPVC pipes present the best option to deliver quality water consistently over the years. With 50+ years of life, no rust, no

corrosion, no heavy metals, and an almost frictionless surface, they offer a perfect solution. High-quality uPVC pipes assure you of a leak-free, durable, and minimal maintenance delivery system.

While building a rainwater harvesting system or incorporating it in a facility, it is crucial to be careful while choosing the components for the solution. It is crucial to pick the right materials. The choice at this stage will define the efficacy of the solution and yield the desired results. Rainwater harvesting, if done right, can help the world tide over the water crisis, allowing us to leave a more beautiful world for your future generations.

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: –

Water Online

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Author :  Saumya Jain
Published On: June 29, 2021

Making India water-secure: Solutions for the future

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Photo courtesy: Indiamart

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

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

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

Photo courtesy : Ministry of Jal Shakti

Some of the solutions available to this end include:

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

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

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

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

This article is published by: –

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

Author : Dr Nidhi Pundhir

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

Ahmedabad man’s rainwater harvesting startup helps save 125 billion litres of water; clocks Rs 2 crore annual revenues

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Plastic engineer Amit Doshi’s startup NeeRain offers an easy-to-install rainwater harvesting device that recharges borewells, improving the quantity and quality of groundwater. Currently sold in seven countries, it is helping mitigate India’s water crisis

When Amit Doshi was in class four, he and his brother would accompany their mother to carry buckets of water. They would queue up to fill water from a tap near their house in Kalol, a semi-urban area about 35km from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The year was 1986, and the borewells in Kalol had dried up following a dramatic decline in the groundwater table. The municipality supplied water every three days.

“My mom carried the larger bucket, while my brother and I dragged the smaller ones. We kept the water for domestic use in a large drum. For us, it was a ritual we continued for almost a decade before relocating to Ahmedabad,” recollects Amit.

Amit, now 46, grew up seeing his family battling for water on a daily basis. The primary concern of his parents was to ensure that their 200-litre drum had adequate water for the family’s needs.

Also Read: Kalpana Ramesh: The architect leading restoration of Telangana’s historic stepwells

“My mother never complained about the strain on her body. She boiled the water before use because it was fluoridated. We weren’t the only ones in Kalol to experience this. About 70 percent of the population suffered the same fate. Water shortage affects about 80 percent of the population in India,” says Amit, who completed his Diploma in Plastic Engineering from the Government Polytechnic in Ahmedabad. He started working for Sintex Industries Limited in 1997 and left in 2014 to start his business.

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

This water can be stored or recharged into the ground to improve water availability through wells and borewells.

NeeRain devices collect rainwater from rooftops and it is used to recharge borewells.

Photo Courtesy: NeerRain

Developing NeeRain

According to the Central Water Commission, India receives 4,000 billion cubic metres of rain annually, but only 8 percent is harvested. The figure is among the lowest in the world.

Rainwater harvesting can provide up to 70 percent of the water needs for a household. Amit decided to create a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-use rainwater harvesting product that could empower families who spent hours collecting water for their daily needs.

After a year of research and development, he designed an instrument to help people collect rainwater, which could be used to recharge borewells or stored, and named it NeeRain Rainwater Filter.

This small filter unit with dimensions of 1x1x1.5 feet uses an engineering material called ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and it was patented in 2018.

Also Read: How Nahargarh’s 300-year-old water harvesting system beat the desert’s water blues

On receiving the necessary approvals, NeeRain Private Ltd began manufacturing the filters in collaboration with the MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Tool Room. While the initial investment was Rs25 lakh, Amit received Rs10.81 lakh as a grant as his product empowers people to access and save water and helps the environment.

NeeRain can also be used to collect rainwater in drums or other storage structures.

Photo Courtesy: NeeRain

It was introduced in June 2020 and costs Rs 2950. While re-drilling a dry borewell can cost around Rs 3 lakh, recharging the groundwater through rainwater harvesting using NeeRain is a much more cost-effective and long-term solution.

With 300mm of rainfall, a house in Mumbai with a 1500 square foot roof can conserve 4 lakh litres of water annually. With 150mm of rain, a house in a similar area in Kolkata can save around 2.5 to 3 lakh litres of water.

So far, NeeRain has been installed in 250 cities across India. It is exported to Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique and Guatemala. There is a rising demand from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

How NeeRain works

A non-electric device with an ABS filter, NeeRain, can last up to 25 years. While rainwater is pure, it gets mixed with other impurities, called TDS (Total Dissolved Solid), once it falls on the roof or any other surface. To remove these impurities, the rainwater is passed through the pipe which filters out even hair-like thick garbage using a double-layer HDP (high-density polyethylene) cloth.

Also Read: Bengaluru engineer revives 11 dead lakes, targets to rejuvenate 45 water bodies by 2025

The CV (check valve) material filters out particles down to 400 microns while HDP filters are effective down to 200 microns. The borewell or tank then receives the crystal-clear water and gets recharged, making it easier to extract water.

The filter is immune from corrosion and pollution since it is made of nylon-based material. Rainwater collection does not require electricity because the filter operates on the principle of gravity.

The transparent lead makes it easier to see the live harvesting and allows for cleaning if any impurities are found. As the rainwater seeps into the ground, the water table rises, the pH level of the water improves and the borewell is recharged to provide water for longer durations.

A non-electric device with an ABS filter, NeeRain, can last up to 25 years.

Photo Courtesy: NeeRain

The installation of NeeRain does not require any extra space or civil modification. The filter can be mounted on the outer wall of a house that has a roof of 1100 to 1300 square feet. Neerain allows vertical fixing and integration of rainwater pipe and it takes around two hours to complete the installation.

Seven countries save water with NeeRain

Around 5,125 NeeRain units have been successfully installed since its commercial launch in 2020.

“Using NeerRain, over 125 billion litres of rainwater has been saved till June 2023 in seven countries spread over three continents,” says Amit, who believes that rainwater harvesting is the only solution to avoid water scarcity.

To promote rainwater harvesting rapidly, Amit is planning to increase the reach of his product by increasing NeeRain’s dealer strength and spreading it to 700 locations around the country. With this, he expects the company’s annual revenue to grow from Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crore in the next three years.

Also Read: The class 10 dropout from Rajasthan who won the Padma Shri for his Chauka system of water harvesting

“Over the next few years, I hope to reach lakhs of households to conserve billions of gallons of rainwater. Since rainwater harvesting technology is now easily accessible and convenient, we can address the issue of the global water shortage,” says Amit.

Reckless extraction of groundwater combined with climate change has adversely impacted water resources. Around 20 percent of the borewells in India encounter water shortages due to groundwater depletion annually.

Around 55 million new homes are constructed every year and a borewell is drilled before the construction begins. India has more than 33 million or 3.3 crore borewells and yet, new ones are dug every year.

NeeRain devices installed at a commercial establishment.

Photo Courtesy: NeeRain

A June 2018 report by NITI Aayog says that India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history and nearly 600 million people are facing high to extreme water stress. It is not surprising, given that the country is not able to harvest its rainfall.

If India can harvest even half of its annual rainfall using mechanisms like NeeRain, many of its water-related problems will be resolved. “We must avoid wasting rainwater. Our country will be water-positive only if every family, organisation, and industry sends its rainwater to the borewell,” says Amit.

Also Read: Daughter, water & trees: How this mantra made Piplantri a model village of India

Excessive groundwater use has resulted in its depletion across India but the problem is more acute in Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. “People are aware of the 4000-year-old rainwater gathering techniques through scriptures, monuments and step-wells, etc. but still choose not to use it,” he says.

Apart from quantity, even the quality of water in India is deteriorating rapidly. In many regions of Eastern India, the groundwater level has decreased to the extent that water is now contaminated with arsenic. Groundwater in various parts of Maharashtra contains uranium while high fluoride levels are reported in water from parts of Gujarat.

Borewells in Ahmedabad are presently, on average, 600 feet deep. Ten years ago, the city used to get its water from 150-foot-deep borewells. It is 1200 feet deep in Bengaluru and 1900 feet deep in Chennai.

“People will start receiving crude oil in the next decade if depletion of groundwater continues at the current rate,” he says.

(Partho Burman is a Kolkata-based award-winning journalist. He writes inspiring human interest and motivational stories.)

Also Read: How 1,000 women around Sambhar Salt Lake are conserving water & practising organic farming

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://30stades.com/enterprise/amit-doshi-neerain-ahmedabad-rainwater-harvesting-startup-saves-125-billion-litres-water-earns-rs-2-crore-revenues-1518709

Author:  Prof. Partho Burman

Publish On: 11thOct 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.”

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

This article is published by: –

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/water-crisis-paralyses-normal-life-in-belagavi-city/articleshow/101077533.cms

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

Publish On: Jun 18, 2023

A deeper look into the roots of Water Crisis in India

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Introduction to Water Scarcity

The issue of water scarcity is a global problem. The unequal distribution of water resources, and the great demand of freshwater globally has led to what the World Economic Forum calls as one of the largest global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade in 2019. The increase in demand for freshwater is a result of, but not limited to, the increasing world population, changes in consumption, and industrial demands. Further, the great inequity between the developed and developing countries, in terms of water resources, grows larger as drinking water and water usage is becoming privatized and coupled with economic growth. This has led to Lower Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) to lose opportunities to gain water shifting government priorities.

Photo courtesy: https://blog.nextias.com/water-crisis-a-complete-picture

The issue of water scarcity is best seen from the perspective of India, a crisis which affects approximately 1 million people a year. The water crisis playing out in India today can be seen as a microcosm of the overall situation that will, or already has, affected many countries in the world. Private water tank owners illegally smuggle and sell clean water at expensive prices, greatly exacerbating the issues of the water crisis in the first place. That, coupled with infrastructural issues and climate change, the issue of water scarcity in India is surely important to examine. This blog seeks to examine the causes of water scarcity in India, the effects it has on the population, and the possible solutions that already exist and/or should be implemented at a local and a national level.

Causes for the Water Crisis in India

The two major monsoons in India, the North-East and the South-West monsoons, account for a large proportion of water that can be harvested and distributed. However, as a result of climate change, monsoons are being disrupted and losing a lot of water.

According to the India Meteorological Department in 2018, the North-East monsoon was deficient by 44% while the South-West monsoon fell short by 10%. Lower rainfall has reduced water levels by about 32% in 91 major reservoirs across the country.

As stated by Impakter, “Unusual temperatures caused by climate change have made rainfall erratic with significant changes in monsoon patterns making droughts and floods more common in many parts of India.”

Photo courtesy:istock

Causes for the Water Crisis in India

The rapid urbanization of India coupled with a lack of city planning has led for former ponds to be used up due to the rising population and a general lack of infrastructure used to treat wastewater for reuse nor an appropriate method of collecting and distributing water.

According to the Central Water Commission, the country still receives enough rainfall to meet the needs of over 1 billion people. Yet, due to poor city planning and the growing population, India only catches only 8 percent through inefficient rainwater harvesting.

Effects of the Water Crisis in India

The water crisis in India affects hundreds of millions of people. Though a lot of Indians are capable of purchasing drinking water from private distributors, rural Indians are faced with walking kilometers away to reach a well or public water pump. Indians who are unable to purchase water are forced to dig bore wells, especially in times of crisis.

First, in June 2016, Latur faced the depletion of approximately 90% of water sources. Next, in 2019, Chennai completely depleted its water supply on the 19th of June, because of deficient rainfall in the previous year’s monsoons.

The vibrant ecosystems of India, and the lives of the indigenous flora and fauna, are threatened by this lack of water. In 2016, the Indian cities of Mettur and Kolathur, in the face of a drought, saw wild animals like elephants, tigers, and deers sneaking into the city in search of water. Indian gaurs in Madurai, Tamil Nadu wound up dead as they fell into wells in search of water.

Agriculture makes up about 16% of India’s economy, according to the World Bank in 2019, and employs almost 44% of India’s working population. In the absence of water, farmers wouldn’t be able to produce crops. This causes much of the farming industry in India to cease operations, collapsing the local economies of smaller Indian towns. This has led farmers and other workers in the agricultural sector to move out into cities in search for jobs. However, this increases the demand for water in major cities, and further complicates the strain that major Indian cities have on the scarce supply of water

Efforts to the Water Crisis

The Government of India has established a new ministry and launched cleaning programs in order to increase the whole country’s water use efficiency. Firstly, the Jal Shakti ministry was formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2019. It combines the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, with the previous Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to form a specialized ministry to clean the river Ganges, settle international water disputes, and provide safe drinking water to the people of India. The Ganga Action Plan was started in 1985 to tackle the problem of water pollution in the river Ganges, however government incompetence hindered the action plan to be anywhere close to efficient. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government would be investing more into managing the pollution of the various rivers in India.

Non Government Organizations (NGOs) like ‘FORCE’ and ‘Safe Water Network’, along with international organizations such as ‘We are Water’ and UNICEF are actively working to provide water supply and sanitation to villages and dealing with the overall water crisis in India. One way NGOs help is by raising social awareness of these issues. Many smaller NGOs use social media, advertising campaigns, and engaging with local people in order to educate how to manage water efficiently at a local level. For example, ‘We are Water’ publishes documentary films every year to raise social awareness on the severe water scarcity issues of India, along with other countries’ scarcity issues as well. Another way NGOs help is by creating Water Resources Projects. For example, UNICEF supported the creation of a 1000+ hectare catchment plan near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra strictly for domestic usage. The Jal Bhagirathi Foundation is prominent in Rajasthan for covering over 550 villages and reviving more than 2000 water harvesting resources in the region.

Possible Solutions

As technology improves, new innovations allow ways to manage water resources more effectively, and possibly solve the water crisis in India. One such technology is rainwater harvesting. A lot of homes already, in India, have rainwater harvesting structures in order to be self sufficient. In Banglore, Biome Environmental Trust and Friends of Lakes dug upto 1 million of these rainwater harvesting wells and connected them to the groundwater, collecting about 60% of total rainwater in the region. Desalination, or the process of treating sea water to make it fit for drinking, is a technique that can solve the problem of water shortages, especially in coastal cities. Israel has already utilized desalination for industrial and domestic use. The Indian government is already looking into desalination technologies, especially for coastal cities like Chennai. Another technology used to manage water resources is the smart water meter. WEGoT, our startup company in India, has innovated on the old analogue design of a water meter and created a new product that uses ultrasonic sensors to monitor water flow with more than 98% accuracy accompanied with a digital app to monitor your water usage intuitively with a simple UI. The installation and usage of this technology is seamless and can greatly benefit both the common customer and larger organizations who wish to manage their water consumption. Finally, irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation technology efficiently controls the amount of water to land and can possibly relieve the water scarcity in India for decades.

Conclusion

The issue of water scarcity in India already has long reaching effects, some of which can already be seen today. Although some factors, such as city planning, cannot be immediately changed to solve this problem, new technologies can definitely help alleviate and possibly reduce the intensity of this issue in India. Though the government of India is finally investing more resources into solving this problem, it’ll take the cumulative effort of every single Indian citizen to conserve their own water, and the effort of the government to implement costly, yet effective, technology and infrastructure to distribute water evenly throughout the country. And with hope, this issue can be finally solved and put to rest.

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

This article is published by: –https://www.wegot.in/blog/a-deeper-look-into-the-roots-of-water-crisis-in-india/

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Author:  Khushboo Vyas

Publish On: Jul 09, 2021