NITI Aayog plans setting up desalination plants along 7,800-km coastline
NITI Aayog is working on a plan to set-up desalination plants along India’s 7,800-km coastline, according to areportin The Economic Times. The plants will desalinate sea water which would then be supplied to population centres through a pipeline network.
This comes at a time when severe water shortages have been observed in major urban areas such as Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made countrywide sufficient clean water supply by 2024 a top priority.
Domestic Water Harvesting Ideas by Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Presented below are some design ideas in domestic Water Harvesting. The Dimensions are indicative and will vary as per local conditions and situation.
Above is a typical Domestic Water Harvesting Design for a terrace of 2500 Sq ft, with 800 mm of annual rainfall. This part of the article should be read in conjunction with Manohar Khushalani’s interview to ANI which can be read on this link
Below are photographs of the outlets on the terrace. In the photograph, the one on the right is the existing drain pipe. The one on the left is the new drain hole connected to Water Harvesting Structure.
As you can see the terrace is dirty. So block the left outlet. So that dirty water does not go to Water Harvesting Structure, but flows out side to street from the right outlet.
Now clean the terrace, which should preferably be done before the monsoons.
After the first rain, block the drain on the right side and open the left outlet so that rain flows through it to the Water Harvesting Structure for rest of the season.
All the drains from higher terraces will also be diverted like this to the structure
Finally all pipes drop their rainwater to the inlet of water harvesting structure. The video below shows the final route:
Finally watch the exhilarating experience of water cascading into your Water Harvesting Structure as you recharge Mother Earth so that it can quench the thirst of your grandchildren. Appropriately, in this video, below, you will hear the voice of a little girl crying out for her grandmother “Naani!! Naani!!”
Watch Rain Water Cascading Into the Womb of Mother Earth
Normally for a properly maintained domestic water harvesting pit a desilting tank is not required. For large capacity pits for societies and institutions see the details of a desilting tank on the next article in this seties
THROWBACK: How China’s ‘sponge cities’ aim to re-use 70% of rainwater
Groundwater over-extraction, waterway degradation, and urban flooding are forcing China’s cities to address a vicious cycle. Sprawling urban development and use of impervious material prevent soil from absorbing rainwater, prompting further investment in infrastructures that typically impede natural processes and worsen flood impacts.
China’s “sponge city initiative” aims to arrest this cycle through the use of permeable surfaces and green infrastructures. However…….
India plants 66 million trees in 12 hours as part of record-breaking environmental campaign | The Independent
Volunteers inIndiaplanted more than 66 million trees in just 12 hours in a record-breaking environmental drive.
About 1.5 million people were involved in the huge plantation campaign, in which saplings were placed along the Narmada river in the state of Madhya Pradesh throughout Sunday. India committed under the Paris Agreement to increasing its forests by five million hectares before 2030 to combat climate change.
Will Government Consider Forest Aquifers to Supply Drinking Water to Cities?
Water experts have said that the two principal unpolluted and perennial sources of water are the water in the ground below forests and the aquifers beneath rivers’ floodplains
Groundwater overexploited in 16% of talukas, mandals, blocks, at ‘critical’ levels in 4% of wells examined – Firstpost
Groundwater level in 16 percent of the taluka, mandal, block level units in the country fall under the “over-exploited” category, while 4 percent falls under the “critical” category, government data show.
Groundwater level of the 6,584 block, mandal, tehsil level units assessed by the Central Groundwater Board reveal that 4,520 units fall under the “safe category”, according to the data shared by the government in Lok Sabha last week.
As many as 1,034 units have been categorised as “over-exploited”, the data state
Ancient Peruvian Water-Harvesting System Could Lessen Modern Water Shortages | VOA
Sometimes, modern problems require ancient solutions. A 1,400-year-old Peruvian water-diverting method could supply up to 40,000 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of water to present-day Lima each year, according to new research published inNature Sustainability. It’s one example of how indigenous methods could supplement existing modern infrastructure in water-scarce countries worldwide.
In the scope of Indian agriculture, a variety of crops is cultivated in India due to the vastly distinct weather and soil conditions that are available in various topographies across the country. These crops are majorly divided into food grains, cash crops, plantation crops and horticulture crops. Water is one of the essential resources that are required for proper growth of these crops. The majority of the farmers are still dependant on growingwater intensive crops. Irrigation water, exclusive of precipitation and stored moisture, is required to meet the consumption rate of a crop during its growth period. But the amount of irrigation water required differs for each plant, not only because different plants need to survive different environments, but also because each plant has its own unique physical features.The rural Indian population is largely dependent on agriculture as its primary source of livelihood. Agriculture is one of the major contributors to India’s GDP, with an 18% share (KPMG report), this population plays an integral role in the Indian Economy.
In this regard, we would like to highlight some of themost water intensive cropsthat are popularly grown by Indian farmers.
A TV panel discussion on the Water Crisis facing India with Manohar Khushalani, Raghav Chadha and Madhavan
Prof. Manohar Khushalani appeared live in a program anchored by the charming Gargi Rawat, on the NDTV series, WE THE PEOPLE. with Co-panelists Raghav Chadha and VK Madhavan. There were also Videocons with Medha Patkar an Other from Chennai.
On We The People we talked about an an issue that concerns everyone – India’s impending water emergency. The crisis is all around us. Chennai is facing the worst water crisis it has ever seen. With lakhs of people depending on private water tankers as taps go dry, establishments have had to be shut down, children are skipping school and lining up for water. And while Chennai is the largest city facing a water crisis right now, there’s a drought like situation in almost half the country. Parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh too are reeling under the crisis. On this show, panelists talked about steps we can take to prevent an impending water emergency.
If you are really worried about the Water Crisis in India don’t miss this program. Click on the link below. It was telecast at 6pm Saturday, 29th June, 2019
