19 Edition
Jan 2022
WOW LEADERS SPEAK
(Here are striking excerpts from the meeting of WOW TechTalk #08 of January 21, 2022)
Understand the problem … to define solution…
6 Simple facts about the global water crisis are -
- Nature and natural infrastructure have always been able to sustain renewable water.
- Nutrient overloads drive eutrophication [or rise in concentration of nutrients in old lakes] and that degrades natural infrastructure.
- Eutrophication is the greatest driver of the global water crisis.
- The paradox of infrastructure is a trap we fall into. “The only thing that drives eutrophication more than wastewater treatment is no waste-water treatment.”
- Reversing eutrophication converts natural infrastructure liabilities back into assets.
- By synergizing built and natural infrastructure, we can return to renewable water.
- Dave Shackleton, SIS.BIO, the US and Australia. Global Water Works member.
Revitalise the Kollangulam Lake in Tiruchirapalli
“We are attempting to revitalise the Kollangulam lake in Trichy. There have been numerous encroachments, as there have been in any other location. Thanks to the encroachments, lakes have disappeared; many have even forgotten that they flourished once. We're dumping solid garbage and waste water into it. We have completely blocked access to the lake.
Trichy citizens are working on three aspects: solid waste and liquid waste management, boosting accessibility and visibility, and putting it to people's use.”
- Ar Vijaykumar. Trichy. WOW Member.
“Dr. Prakasam Tata completed a study of a lake in Vizianagaram in 2004. It was a 117-acre lake that served as a source of drinking water and other needs. Sewage was entering the system and destroying the water's purity. He set out to reroute this sewage into a 15-acre treatment facility using anaerobic and aerobic filtration to slow down and cleanse the water. All of these lagoons then created were between 5 and 10 feet deep. The water flows into the lake after. They had cleaned up the water with this ‘settlement tank’, and they had built a lovely road all the way around the lake with public lighting and park benches for people to relax and enjoy, exactly as Vijaykumar had suggested.
Prakasam spent many months there, working on the design and construction. The whole cost of the project, including roads and the built environment, was around 3 crores. The region has now undergone a transformation. It's known as the lovers alley since it's popular for evening strolls. Everyone makes excellent use of it. Otherwise, everything was a shambles. Because there is a railway line that runs through the area. Railways can also play a role in preventing water from entering the lake.”
- Vasudevan Rajaram, GlobalWaterWorks, Chicago
“I like how quickly the problem was solved and how inexpensive it was. We've been working on aerated vent lines as well as manufactured vent lines. On the affluent treatment plant, we're working on some complicated issues. I've been going to lakes for about three years. I've worked for kilometres along the Ganges River and have witnessed the difficulties. However, two things astonished me today at the discussions: cost-effective solutions and speedy solutions. Right now, I'm working on two lakes. As soon as I finish these, I will share the results. These initiatives will begin the next month.”
- Ganges Reddy
WOW MEMBERS SPEAK
These are extracts of conversations of WOW members in the Core Executive Group. Add your comments, views
Why people in parts of Bengaluru don’t want Cauvery water
- Satish Mallaya
If the ground water extraction is not regulated this is bound to happen... BWSSB themselves suck ground water in lalbagh and sell it to different hospitals in South Bangalore for a heavy price.
- Murali
If you can offer some few more facts on Dept of Horticulture selling groundwater from Lalbagh we can make a representation of all WOW citizen leaders — about 400-500 and seek a halt to this.
If we know how many KLD of withdrawal we can host numbers on cost of energy and carbon.
- Hari Haran
Also on the periphery of Bangalore there are so many residential and commercial establishments who get bore water from nearby farmer fields... In some cases as far as 5km via a dedicated pipeline.. While the farmer earns money by selling water, he gets free power and subsidy for putting up his borewell. Is the minor irrigation department blind to these?
- Murali
‘Water positive’ certificate from TERI for Nelamangala unit of ABB India
- B K Prasad
Quite interesting reading - now it is 5 Rs- Reduce , Recycle , Reuse , Recharge , Real-time monitor of water . The plant has achieved 85 % of recycling through STP water . Really remarkable
- Suresh A Pai
A water positive index of 1.24 is amazing
- B K Prasad
O U T O F W A T E R
It is no secret that many people throughout the world lack access to safe drinking water. For example, approximately 1 billion people in India currently lack access to safe drinking water. Water scarcity has been a major issue in India for many years, and it is only getting worse. This blog article will look at how the residents in the area are affected by the scarcity.
T H E G R E A T I N D I A N T H I R S T
"The story of India’s water crisis, solutions to tackle it"
When the Indus Valley Civilisation reached its pinnacle more than 2,500 years ago, it unexpectedly lost its radiance and vanished. Many archaeologists assume that people were driven to evacuate city settlements owing to a catastrophic water scarcity caused by either changing rivers or dramatic climate change. Except for the remnants it left behind, which were first unearthed only in the 1820s, the entire civilisation all but perished.
History appears to be repeating itself, which is ominous for India. According to a 2018 NITI Aayog report, 600 million people, or over half of India's population, are under severe water stress. That three-quarters of India's rural families lack access to piped, drinkable water and must rely on unsafe sources. That India has surpassed the United States as the world's top extractor of groundwater, accounting for 25% of total extraction. That 70% of our sources are poisoned, and that pollution is killing our biggest rivers. 'India is experiencing its biggest water crisis in history,' it concludes.
T H E S E E N A N D U N S E E N
“As many as 256 of 700 districts reported critical or over-exploited groundwater levels as of 2017.”
For ages, fetching water has been considered a woman's work in India, particularly in rural regions. Wells, ponds, and tanks are drying up as groundwater supplies are depleted owing to overuse and excessive usage. This has exacerbated the water situation, placing an even larger strain on women in terms of water availability.
Several young women are denied an education just because they are responsible for getting water.
India has a population of 16 percent of the world's population, yet it only possesses 4% of the world's freshwater resources. India is water-stressed due to shifting weather patterns and recurrent droughts.
According to the latest statistics from the Central Ground Water Board, as many as 256 of 700 districts have reported 'critical' or 'over-exploited' groundwater levels (2017). As the water table has dropped, getting water in these places has become more difficult.
COMMENDATION AWARDS
Alt. Tech Foundation is a not-for-profit, for-industry Foundation for
(i) producing sustainability managers and leaders,
(ii) providing green management skill sets,
(iii) hosting city-wide campaigns for citizen collective action to save water & energy,
(iv) purposing research for city infrastructure.
WOW Action Forum is a globally pioneering effort for bringing collective private action to save very large quantities of water at apartments, at Industry, at tech parks, or hotels and hospitals or malls and other such buildings. The 2021 mission is set to save 1000 Cr lites with community-led action. This alone will bring a saving of 236 Cr in electricity bills for the city, and a reduction in carbon emission of nearly 300,000 tonnes equivalent.