The management of water in urban India - some possibilities

Water Management and Conservation for a Sustainable

Future

 S.Vishwanath

The S.T.I.F.L.E. model for sustainability

Social – In which a clear Universal access has to be defined with water as a human right

Technical – where a mix of appropriate technologies are selected

Institutional – an integrated water management institution is created

Financial – where financial sustainability is achieved

Legal – the legal right to water and pollution prevention is exercised

Ecological – the true ecological preservation of the water environment from forests to sea is achieved

The Cauvery river basin Payment for Ecological services

Bangalore

Bangalore

A city like Bangalore gets its water from the Cauvery 95 kms and 500 meters below the city

Law of the jungle – need for a river basin institution

Old forest release water or do they?

We are a groundwater civilization

Over 30 million wells and bore-wells Over 60 % of our total water

requirements Over 85 % of our drinking water

needs

..and the only source for recharge is RAIN

How is groundwater managed in a city ?

The open well is a great communicator

Get back to the culture of the open well

Urban needs

Map micro-watersheds and plan/implement along it

Map sub aquifers and draw a management plan for it .

Understand the phenomenon of monsoon

As we work on catchments we need to work to isolate water for drinking from water for agriculture or industrial use

Groundwater

Open wells are generally free from Fluorides and Arsenic

Open wells have the lowest cost water

Open wells have the lowest embodied energy

Aquifers need recharge Aquifers need water safety plan to

protect from pollution.

Water is also spiritual

Need to revive a fallen culture

The Belgaum Example

An innovative ‘jugaad’ civilization

A special plan for the future

The H2S vial test for e.coli

Water and Rain is Everybody’s business

EVERY ROOF CAN BE A CATCHMENT

Rain barrel : easiest way to begin rainwater harvesting

Rain barrels at work

Rainwater harvesting in an industry

4 acres > objective 0% runoff

Rain Barrels harvesting rooftop rainwater

The little important things

The business of wastewater

184 out of 219 towns in Karnataka do not have a Sewage Treatment Plant

Safe use of wastewater ensured

STP’s need to be linked to reuse

Nature as treatment

Lake ecosystem

Sludge reuse need to be formalised

Vacum sucking a pit latrine

the honey-sucker can reach 250 feet

It has eliminated manual scavenging

There are 300 of them in Bangalore City

The trucks are indigenously designed

In many apartments a daily visit

Nutrient value is recovered

But how to avoid soil and groundwater pollution ?

Nutrient analysis in progress

Farmers have understood the nutrient value

The crop

The fruits