BLUETIMES

Cover Story

When Delhi Walked for Water P3

Milestone

Jal Rakshaks Create Ripples in World Water Week P9

BLUETIMES is a Water Wisdom Quarterly Magazine published by Forum for Organized Resource Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE). The views expressed are those of the authors and Editorial Desk and may not necessarily conform to those of FORCE.

BLUETIMESa quarterly magazine by FORCE, New Delhi, India

Volume 1 | April 2011 | www.force.org.in

Highlight

The Man Who Created A Forest P7

Policy

Water Privatization P5

Technology

Root Zone Systems P8

PlusPhoto Gallery P2, 11------------------------------------Community Page P6------------------------------------Achievers P7------------------------------------FORCE News P10

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3Volum 1 | April 2011 | www.force.org.in

President’s NoteNamaskar

As a bystander to recent events, I have often been struck by the strength of conviction that both sides – the accuser and the accused – display when giving their version of an issue. Take for eg. the issue about the NDM-1 gene carrying bacteria. To an average reader, the Lancet journal’s assertion sounds very convincing. On the other hand, the Delhi Jal Board CEO and the Chief Minister are equally categorical in their assertion that DJB water is safe for drinking and is routinely tested everyday to ensure that quality. Many other such examples of equally passionate offence and defence come to my mind – the large dams vs no dams issue; the Coca-Cola vs People protests, the water privatization vs community management debate; river interlinking vs micro unit water planning …..

Total conviction of this sort – on either side - cannot exist without very strong reasons to support one’s belief. So I looked deeper to try and understand how such an apparent contradiction is possible….and I think I have an answer.

It all really boils down to a simple question ‘Where does the buck stop??’ The accusers have a common point – they all look at the impact at the consumer end. The responses of the accused are also standard – they look at the end point of their perceived legal responsibility chain. To a common man in Delhi or at Lancet, ensuring water quality at any place from where people take water for drinking is the Delhi Jal Board’s responsibility. Delhi Jal Board, however, defines it differently – ensuring water quality in the piped water supply network of Delhi Jal board – provided there is no illegal tampering with the distribution system – is their responsibility. Similarly, a villager living close to a factory reacts to the decline in water table and quality that he experiences after the setting up of the factory. The factory, though responds with a valid set of legal records showing that they are working as per the law of the land and within the norms. If, however, there is some societal violation for which no written law exists – because it was not envisaged by the law makers, is anyone really answerable for that ??

Which view is correct? Depends which side you’re on – but the net result is a hardening of stances on both sides and a focus on saving your own skin rather than addressing the larger issue. Blame-mongering can only lead to a zero sum game – where the losses of one wipeout the gains of the other.

At FORCE, we believe that instead of playing blame games, we must join hands to work together in the spirit of mutual benefit. So making sure that we get uncontaminated water in our taps at home is the DJB’s responsibility – yes- but by not installing motors or illegal tapping or allowing overflows; each Delhite must also be a partner in shouldering that responsibility. It’s the government’s responsibility to prevent the environmental disasters that large dams cause, but all of us must also help make that possible by curbing our demand and reviving our internal sources of fresh water.

So friends, welcome to this first edition of BLUETIMES; our magazine that will share with you ideas, technologies, views, events, creatives on water. Read about our recent ‘Walk for Water’ and the ‘Blue Delhi Declaration’ – which we hope starts a partnership based thrust on Water Security.

Please do write back to us or email us your Water News, your views on recent water issues, your achievements in water conservation or your creative expressions on water. BLUETIMES is your magazine – let your thoughts flow and enrich us all.

Regards Jyoti Sharma (Ashoka Fellow)President, FORCE

On March 19-2011, Delhi’s single most powerful symbol of power and the road to governing the largest

democracy in the world – India Gate and Rajpath – became the ultimate symbol of unity. Scores of people, rich, poor, young, old, children, women, men and even the third sex converged to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate – to Walk for Water.

It was a hot day; certainly not a day for a picnic. Yet, participants – approx 1800 - came pouring in. Children from schools; Senior Citizens club members; members of various Residents Welfare Associations, ladies from Lioness Clubs and Inner Wheel clubs of Delhi and NOIDA; slum settlements in West, South West and North East Delhi, students from IIT, JNU and other colleges and social workers from NGOs.

Brought together by FORCE and leading them were leaders from international welfare organizations – WaterAid India, UNICEF, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Action for Food Production (AFPRO) and United Nations Information Centre (UNIC). Joining them in taking a lead were other partners from government and non – government organizations such as Delhi Jal Board, Department of Environment (Delhi Government), Central Groundwater Board, CASP-Plan India, MRYADO, CURE, Art of Living and Rotary Club.

They all came to the historic India Gate in Delhi to answer the global call to Walk for Water and show their solidarity for those lesser privileged women all over the globe, who, even today, have to walk atleast 6 km to get the minimum daily requirement of water for their families. They came there to walk the 4.6 km stretch

C O V E R S T O R Y

When Delhi Walked For Water

4 a quarterly magazine by FORCEBLUETIMES

1. Water Bodies: Help protect, revive & maintain the 900 water bodies of Delhi as a reservoir for rainwater and a source of ground water recharge.

2. Yamuna River: Help revitalize the 48 km stretch of the river Yamuna that flows in Delhi which is 4.6% of total Yamuna river’s flow, by co-operating with government efforts to clean the river, preventing future pollution of the river and ensuring required flow of Yamuna, through its course in the city.

3. Groundwater: Help harvest the 906 billion litres of rainwater for artificial recharge to groundwater to improve the quality and level of groundwater in Delhi. Also help ensure adherence to groundwater regulations and implementation of rainwater harvesting laws.

4. Water demand: Help reduce the current demand for fresh water from 220lpcd to 135 lpcd by eliminating water wastages, reusing used water, recycling of waste water & its use.

5. Water Awareness: Help make the 1.8 crore citizens of Delhi active participants in Water Conservation by encouraging, capacity building and supporting citizen led water conservation events and campaigns.

from India Gate to Vijay Chowk and back, in Delhi’s heat, to experience for themselves, the pain and the suffering of those who go through this hardship – infact much worse – everyday of their lives.

After the flagging off by leaders from all partner organizations, the Walk started with great enthusiasm. Amidst loud cheers and slogans, the crowd surged forward. After some time, though, the heat and the effort started to tire the participants. Even those who completed the walk, groaned about the difficulty of walking this distance.

The Walk for Water was a hard lesson, but hopefully, a lesson well learned - every drop of water is precious. Every drop wasted here, adds to the hardship of a helpless woman, walking endlessly for water somewhere.

MINISTER LEADS THE PLEDGE FOR WATER SECURITY

After the Walk, the participants all assembled at the India Gate Lawns to take the Blue Delhi Declaration & pledge - To make Delhi completely Water Secure by 2016 - with Sh Salman Khurshid, Hon’ble Minister of Water Resources. He was joined on the dais by other dignitaries present on the occasion Sh Ramesh Negi (CEO, Delhi Jal Board) and the Smt Sanjam Chima - Advisor PR, DJB; Dr Kiran Mehra Kerpelman – Director – UNIC; Dr. Ranjana Pant – Director – WWF, Sh Lourdes Baptista – Country Director, WaterAid India; Dr Isha Prasad

Bhagwat – Director WaterAid India, Dr SC Jain – Program Head, AFPRO and Smt Jyoti Sharma, President, FORCE.

The Blue Delhi declaration is based on the premise that Delhi’s existing Water assets, if managed well, can be enough to make Delhi Water Secure.

To ensure that the BLUE DELHI DECLARATION succeeds in its objective to make Delhi Water Secure, five BDD task forces will be made. Each will have participants from citizens, civil society groups, technical experts and government departments.

Each task force will take charge of one aspect of sustainable Water Planning for the city. It will help the government bridge the gap between planning and implementation of that aspect. The task forces will focus on:

The BLUE DELHI PLEDGE taken by all participants was

I pledge to make Delhi ‘Water Secure’, through my actions as a responsible citizen of this heritage city.

I pledge to think of Water as a priceless Gift from god Almighty. I pledge to use it judiciously, to remind myself and spread awareness about its value, and to support

efforts directed to conserve it.

I pledge to do all I can to add to the ground water in Delhi and prevent its contamination. I also promise to protect & preserve lakes and other water bodies

that have been generously bestowed on our city.

I acknowledge and promise to play my role in ensuring a clean river Yamuna that has been the life line of people in the city for centuries.

I pledge to act, and to act now.

Which BDD Task Force would you like to join?

Register on the FORCE website, email us at [email protected] or write back

to us with your contact details and how you can contribute to the task force

you wish to join.

The word ‘Privatization’ seems to be hanging like a dark cloud on our water resources. It is being

pushed aggressively by the World Bank & government water supply boards as the answer to our water problems. Their objective: reduce government’s role, emphasise on direct contributions of individuals to their water needs, and involve the private sector.

The guiding principle is to see water as an economic good, as for efficient long-term use. The rationale for privatization is the perceived inability of the state to deliver appropriate benefits. The state is thus being called upon to change its role from that of a service provider to that of a regulator.

The issue has polarized public opinion. Water is Power, and trusting profit seekers with this power seems naïve. Imagine a situation where water is scarce, where there’s competition for every drop, and the thirst of the market rules. Imagine private players mining water from all possible sources & exporting it at the best prices they can get. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?

From the point of view of a citizen, Water is what nature has gifted us free of cost. The

Water Privatization

United Nations and Indian law accepts it as basic human need and right. Commodifying water, i.e. buying and selling it, violates that right. How can a profit making entity claim its ownership? Water can’t be owned because water rights are Common Property rights.

However, the other point of view is that the use of water has been largely unsustainable and does not reflect its true value. Despite the recent hike in tariffs, people in Delhi still pay less than a third of the actual cost of water they consume. Include all other costs- its channelization, treatment before and after use- and suddenly water seems

Please email us your opinions on the topic at [email protected]

Your views will be included in a ‘Peoples’ Perspective Report on Privatisation of Water’.

too precious to waste.

The fact is that the government has been inefficient in managing our water resources. The private sector may have a role to play there. But it will not be able to address the human right, social, environmental and health aspects of water. And, as the Bolivian experience shows (box left), any water decision that is not based on the constitutional right to water and the principle of public trust, is bound to fail.

The big question, though, still remains: Who controls water? Perhaps a controlled marriage of private sector’s efficiency to the authority and regulatory power of the government, might be a feasible solution. The community too must have a representation in the regulatory boards – they must lead the profit seekers. While it would be foolish to think about handing control over, it would be unwise to keep private players out totally. Like most other things, the middle path may be the only way forward.

A letter

by a Jal Rakshak

Dear Government

I am worried. I am concerned. I see us, citizens of this heritage city, losing our natural resources and looking helplessly around

for solutions. After years of neglect, our rivers, lakes and water bodies are dying and have turned to waste water dumping sites. Even our groundwater resources are depleting fast and we seem to be hoping for some miracle. We live on the hope that the weather gods

are listening to our prayers.

Is there nothing you can do to reduce our worry? To start with, you can work on improving the management of our existing resources. Delhi has been gifted with more than 900 water bodies. They can act as natural water reservoirs. They are dying now after years of neglect. We have a legislation for the restoration and maintenance of our water bodies? Dear Govt, I hope you are implementing that legislation.

Our groundwater too has been exploited mercilessly. Groundwater is a property of the community and not any individual. The community must shoulder responsibility of the groundwater resources. We want you to stop the plunder of this resources by unscrupulous users. If you cannot, then transfer the authority to manage the distribution of this resource to the local communities.

We must pledge to do all we can to help you. But changes are needed at the top too: A legislative framework to accommodate communities’ full participation; change in the existing law transferring/sharing control of groundwater with the community, like the RWA or the Gram Panchayat. For a transparent system, let us monitor each other.

It is easy to demand change, we do understand. But we also promise to fully equip ourselves to be that change. We will arm our self with knowledge and spread awareness. We ask you to progressively involve us - this diversely beautiful community of people- with a view to transfer the management of our resources in our own hands.

I hope, this time, you don’t disappoint us. We, on our part, promise to rise to the occasion and show everybody how ‘We can do it’.

In February and March of 2000, protests broke out in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in response to the skyrocketing price of water. Many people saw their bills more than ripple in just weeks after Aguas del Tunari, a private company owned by London-based multinational International Water Ltd., took over the city’s water system. For thousands of families, the rate hike meant up to half of their monthly income went to paying for water.

Unable to survive under these conditions, the citizens demanded that the water contract be terminated. After suffering civil rights abuses, injuries and even death at the hands of the police and military, the protesters were heard and their water rights were restored.

J A L R A K S H A K G U I D E - P O L I C Y


We are today faced with two contradictory facts. Although there is a lot of water on our planet and yet we are perpetually running short of water for our domestic

needs. How do we reconcile these two facts? Let us consider the matter in some depth.

Though 70% of the world’s surface is covered with water, only 3% of the water on the earth’s surface is fresh water. Of the same, around 70% is locked in polar icecaps, glaciers and inaccessible groundwater, only a small proportion is available for use. Water available to us is either surface water like lakes, streams etc or ground water, which is the water that percolates into the ground.

What is needed, along with fresh water, is fresh thinking. We need to learn how to value water. While, in some instances, that may mean making users pay a realistic price, it must never mean depriving already marginalized people of this vital resource. It is an irony that those with the lowest income generally pay the most for their water.

Firstly, we should be ‘miserly’ in using water i.e. not waste it. A little thought about this will clearly indicate the possible saving periods while we are shaving, brushing teeth or say through leaking taps. Secondly, the wastewater from kitchen and bathroom (not the toilet

flush) can be treated and used for gardening and watering our plants.

Thirdly, the run-off water from roadside, large office establishments etc. should be collected and utilized for general purposes like washing, gardening, water cooler, keeping surroundings clean – cleanliness being the first requirement of health!

Lastly, it is well known that rain water harvesting is the ‘in’ thing today. This is my fourth point. Just like it’s name, this comprises collecting rainwater as it falls, transporting and collecting it in deep wells located at technically designed spots, and releasing it for re-charging the ground water. Including other techniques, we shall thus be making arrangements for, possibly, our next generation!

As socially responsible citizens we should be aware of our water footprint i.e. the amount of water consumed by our household. We should also look as to how we contribute to community projects in this regard. It will thus be seen that rain water harvesting as well as conservation of today’s available water are equally important responsibilities devolving on. Water is as important for us as for our future generations. Let all of us work together for it.

There is enough & more water in our beloved city, Delhi. We welcome visitors, and, much to our delight, many of they come to love the place and decide to stay

on. The poet Zauq immortalised this sentiment aptly: Kaun jaaye Zauq magar Dili ki galiyan chod kar. The thought that we can’t provide safe drinking water to all is misplaced. We can indeed; through an intelligent mix of eco-sensitive approaches and technology.

We are a green city too, with a 30% freen cover that helps recharge groundwater. We are blessed with a number of water bodies which help in rainwater harvesting and recharge. We can also replicate the way we have restored the Neela Hauz & the Nizamudin baoli. Intelligent use of this surface water can go a long way to meet our water needs.

We have to resort to technology, though. Some technology is simple: rainwater harvesting structures on building premises; toilets which use less water; designing buildings in a manner that they resistant heat better and so there is limited recourse to water coolers; and designing industrial appliances which require less water.

We also need more complicated technology. To start with, water recycling should be made compulsory in our commercial complexes and encouraged in residential complexes. Next, we need to ensure adequate protection of the river we are blessed with, the Yamuna. And finally, we will need to fix our pipes so they do not leak.

24x7 potable water in our pipelines is eminently possible. The bottom line is that we need to display an iron will to develop and implement a sound policy; to recognize water as a precious resource; and, as committed citizens, to understand and appreciate the numerous water budgeting exercises carried out, apply them, and thus support our talented public health engineers. We need to make water a citizens’ movement!!

Our city, while comparable to Rome, can boast of a difference. Rome gets its water from some distance; we can be self sufficient and use our resources we have been blessed with wisely, and not recourse to building dams 400 kms away to meet our needs, and subjecting our other brothers and sisters to misery.

Enough and more Dr. Ishaprasad Bhagwat

A Fresh look at Water ConservationMr. N.K. Mathur

Member Exec Committee, RWA B-10 Vasant Kunj

J A L R A K S H A K G U I D E - C O M M U N I T Y P A G E

Edited

Edited

6 BLUETIMESa quarterly magazine by FORCE

Concerned residents with placards, shouting slogans, demanding action; children out on the streets

enacting plays and spreading the word; passer-bys, some amused, some inspired; the old and the young united for a cause. Their demand: Restore our Neela Hauz.

Their united voice did finally resonate with the government bodies. The process of handing to the DDA over the 2.5 hectare lake Neela Hauz that spreads over the southern ridge, was finally started by the Public Works Dept (PWD) in March 2011. Reacting to a the citizen’s voices and a PIL filed by them, DDA has been asked to restore the lake to its original condition by the High Court by 31st May.

This follows around a year and a half of intense pressure by the ‘Citizens Group for Neela Hauz’. This citizen body, which comprised of residents and members of

Since 1986, P Abdul Kareem lives inside a 32-acre forest, which is host to hundreds of bee-hives, snake pits

and nests. Kareem is not just the owner of the forest but also its creator.

Kerala’s Forest Research Institute sends scientists to study the trees planted by him and the state’s textbook committee has introduced a chapter on this ‘man-made forest’ in the sixth standard textbook. Agricultural scientist, M S Swaminathan, who once stopped by, has been a frequent visitor ever since. And Kareem was one of the 20 persons honoured in 2009 by Limca Book of Records as “People of the Year”.

Behind Kareem’s success lies a strong will & years of hard work, propelled by a dream. When Kareem first set his eyes on the lateritic hillside, the entire stretch was barren. In 1977, he bought five acres of land with an almost non-functional well for Rs 3,750.

Next year, he planted mature saplings of

wild trees, but all of them withered soon. The second attempt too was unsuccessful. However, in the third attempt, several saplings survived and started growing. In those days, Kareem used to fetch water in cans on his motorbike from a source a kilometre away. He cared for passing birds too. He put small water-filled pots around the land to attract them. They brought in more diversity to his land, discharging varied seeds through droppings.

He planted 800 species of forest trees and 300 medicinal plants. He has never weeded his land, never cut a tree, never swept or set on fire the leaves ever since. He kept away all fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides. He dug rainwater catch pits and raised walls with boulders across the slopes in order to capture soil carried by run-off water.

Soon, the ground water rose to a comfortable level. Weeds grew amidst the rare herbs and medicinal plants – many not chosen by Kareem. In 1982, he bought another

27 acres of rocky land and today, “you dig five metres and you’ll get water here,” says Kareem.

Hare, fowl and other small game have appeared in the forests and sack-sized beehives emerged. From a tank in the forest, he can now pump 100,000 litres at one go and the level bounces back soon. Today, Kareem supplies drinking water to the 100-odd families from the two wells and four ponds in his forest, situated in Puliyankulam.

CitizensGive Life

To A Lake

NGO’s, was formed after debris had been dumped into the Neela hauz by the PWD to facilitate construction of a flyover to ease traffic in view of the impending Common Wealth Games.

The Group held Solidarity meets, wrote innumerable letters, met those in power acted like the vigilante and monitored the flyover project throughout. The group, even held an awareness meets for school children and in JNU to add their voices to the movement.

It was the pressure by the citizens group that led the Lt Governor to intervene and declare the Neela Hauz and forest as a Bio-Diversity zone to be protected by DDA. The restoration of Neela Hauz now seems more than a possibility. We hope that when people see life back in the lake, they are inspired to do the same for other lakes too.

The man who created a forestBy AP Muhammed Afsal, Kasargod

Kareem Prabhakaran

J A L R A K S H A K G U I D E - A C H I E V E R S

Edited Courtesy www.the weekendleader.com


India has millions of unusual units that produce energy. In fact we have more than 4.2 million plants of a single type.

And guess what they run on? Cattle dung, kitchen waste, tree leaves and other organic material! The plant outputs are gas that can be used for cooking and waste than can be used or sold as manure. For the eyebrows that are still raised I may add that we are indeed talking about Biogas plants.

Biogas plants are small, easy to install in rural as well as urban areas, and are a no-fuss way of waste disposal. After an initial period of 30-45 days, Biogas - sufficiently

In-Situ Sewage Treatment With Root Zone Systems

Kitchen Waste Powered Bio-Gas Unitsrich in Methane begins to rise up and can be tapped for use.

Though the majority of these plants are in rural areas, their growing popularity in the urban areas is a testament to their versatility. In slum settlements the benefits of kitchen waste based Bio-Gas units, are three fold; gas for cooking, manure for sale and zero garbage.The Ministry of Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Delhi govt. encourage the installation of these plants with a subsidy of 50% and 33% respectively.

The Delhi government too has decided

to tap into this energy source and given the nod to set up a 750 MW plant to be run on bio-gas. With a potential of around 12 million plants, we still have a long way to go. It is how we now adapt the technology and spread it that will finally harness the potential that biogas plants had promised.

J A L R A K S H A K G U I D E - T E C H N O L O G Y

Let’s take a small leap into the future - 2012. Some way off the Gurgaon expressway, the Arjun camp area

looks transformed; as if it has grown new roots of life. The old mining pit has been turned into a plantation; there are no lingering odours; the camp look cleaner and greener; and the residents happier.

We soon find out that plantations in the pond, which is an old mining pit, are part of the Root Zone Treatment System (RZTS). As there are no sewage lines in the area, the open drains take toilet & other wastes into the pond. But now, the waste water is treated and the output is clean water of the quality of a tertiary (3 stage) treatment system!

The RZTS, also known as the Reed Bed System, is a sealed filter bed consisting of a sand / gravel/ soil system planted with vegetation that can grow in wetlands. Raw effluent is passed through the wetland plants, which purify water through biochemical processes. The overall filtration effect is such that clean water can be pumped for external use.

Water treatment is done in two stages: primary and secondary. In primary treatment, floating debris and solid particles are trapped whereas in secondary treatment, the wastewater passes through the filter bed where biodegradation of the wastewater takes place after which clean water is obtained. The functional mechanisms are characterized by complex physical, chemical and biological processes.

The model is suitable for places which do

not have a sewage disposal system and where some open space is available – such as unauthorized settlements in open areas. Its low on maintenance and the output is clean water. The system can run upto 50 to 60 years without any loss of efficiency. It achieves the standard for tertiary level treatment with virtually no operating cost. There is no chemical used for pH adjustment or for flocculation. If needed, the amount of electricity consumed for pumping treated water too is low.

Salient Features as a capsule:» Treats all toilets, household wastages » Very Low operation and maintenance

costs» High efficiency in removal of pathogens » Long life span of systems- 50, 60 years» Allows safe re-use of waste water » Plants with commercial viability can be

grown



Jal Rakshaks create ripples in World Water Week

The World celebrated World water Day on March 22, but Jal Rakshaks of Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai with funding support from Diageo, created ripples of Water awareness

throughout the following week. In parks, college campuses, schools and residential areas, Jal Rakshaks reached out to people with their messages of Water Wisdom.

A passionate environmentalist and spiritual guide, Jal Rakshak (JR) Sharad Gupta helped organise 4th & 5th Renewable Energy Fairs at IGNOU and Anand Niketan, New Delhi, on 26th and 27th of March respectively. Over the weekend, Sharad ji interacted with visitors on issues ranging from solar energy, use of bio-fuels, and conservation of water. He also helped people understand that it is not necessary to destroy nature and environment for development.

JR Geeta Dhawan, President of the Inner wheel Club Vasant Kunj Delhi, held a special meeting of the club on March 29th dedicated to water. The ladies composed songs, recited their self composed poems, conducted quiz & even modified their Tambola game for the day to reflect water issues. They also shared their views on how best to make people conserve water. As an outcome of their discussion, they decided to hold a ‘Maid Training Program’ to teach maidservants in Vasant Kunj on how to minimize water wastage in daily chores.

Equally effective was the activity conducted by Jal Rakshak Lioness Club President Rajni Hans from Gangotri Enclave Delhi. In addition to a talk and distribution of information material on water during the Lioness club meeting of her district, she conducted a quiz and slogan writing competition. The winners were given a CD with Indian classical music pieces on water.

In Aravali Apartments, Alakananda, JR RL Gupta, Vice President, Residents Welfare Association, organized a painting competition on March 27 for children of the colony. The theme: Save Water. Prizes were given to the best 5 paintings. In Kamayani Kunj JR IP

Khandelwal, President of the RWA also did the same.

On 31st March, Jal Rakshak Sunil Gupta and his friends Ankit and Ekta, organized a water awareness program in Metro View Apartments, Dwarka. Manju Shukla, Vice president, Residents Welfare Association was a great support in the event. Children as well as their parents were made aware of effective measures to save water in their daily life.

Jal Rakshaks in Jaipur decided to talk the blue talk in the greens. Led by JR BL Bhargava from Senior Citizens Forum of Nirman Nagar, Jal Rakshaks went to parks in the early morning and late evening everyday over a period of four days to talk Water Wisdom to the residents of Jaipur. Taking with them information standees, discussion sheets, quiz sheets and water, they not only spread awareness but also tested the retention of their participants. Prizes were given to all those who scored well on the quiz.

All residents were further encouraged to spread awareness in their localities and groups. In Mansarovar Garden, Jal Rakshak Goldy,who teaches in a school, held a painting competition for children and used the pictures to tell them how important it is to conserve water.

Mumbai too joined in the Jal Rakshak reach out drive. JR Puja Sukhija, Executive Director of NGO OASIS, held awareness programs in two schools on 31st March and 5th April. She organised a photo gallery on water literacy in the schools. A quiz event was also held after which children were encouraged to air their views. Later, prizes were distributed to the winners of the quiz.

The enthusiasm that Jal Rakshaks showed in the three cities is heartening to see. It is this level of involvement of the community that can take the water movement to the next level. We hope that more people come together in the future and realize that a united community can solve issues better.

Save Water Share WaterLearning about WaterBlue Talk in Green Parks

M I L E S T O N E

You can be a Jal Rakshak too – Join us on Facebook or register on www.force.org.in


FIFTEEN CRORE LITRES OF RAIN WATER HARVESTING POTENTIAL CREATED IN 2010-11

FORCE, in partnership with communities, corporate donors (KPMG Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, bottling units of Coca-Cola India and Diageo Foundation) and government partners has been able to design and construct 67 rain water harvesting structures – 67 recharge trenches with 96 recharge wells – for artifical recharge to groundwater in Delhi, NOIDA, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Varanasi and Jaipur. The structures have the potential to recharge a total of 15 crore liters per year. In addition, we have helped or partners maintain 88 existing rainwater harvesting structures in and around Delhi to ensure that the structures achieved their rainwater harvesting potential in Monsoon 2010.

JAL RAKSHAK CAMPAIGN

As a part of FORCE’s efforts to create, strengthen and support Jal Rakshaks in their Water Conservation activities, several new initiatives were taken with support from our corporate partner Diageo, in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur.

Delhi - Water Wise Greening: A pilot project for Water Wise Greening, which is. greening of parks in Delhi using Kitchen Waste Water Recycling system, instead of fresh potable water, was installed in Block B pocket 11 of Vasant Kunj in South Delhi in Jan 2011. The system takes kitchen waste water from 7 houses adjoining a community park and cleans it using primary treatment and sedimentation. The cleaned water, stored in a tank, is then used for greening of the

garden The project was set up in partnership with the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (Delhi Govt.) and the Residents Welfare Association of B-11, Vasant Kunj. It was dedicated to the residents by the Speaker of the Delhi Assembly, Sh Yoganand Shastri in the presence of the Counciller – Sh Rakesh Rajora and the CEO of DPGS – Dr SD Singh.

Jal Rakshaks from localities all over Delhi are coming forward with requests to design Water Wise Greening Systems for them. With DPGS support, all these are in various stages of implementation. Housing societies in Gurgaon and Mumbai too are adopting the same.

Mumbai – Prevent Water Wastage - In the 1st phase, the JAL RAKSHAKs of Mumbai conducted Water Wise Saving Support and Awareness camps in 4 different Cooperative Housing Societies of Andheri & Chembur. In each society, for two days, a plumber went from house to house to check & correct the leakages in the water pipelines and also suggest / help replacement of existing water fixtures with those that use less water. Leakages of atleast 20,000 litres per day were rectified. The Awareness program too raised an enthusiastic response – including participation in the painting competition ‘Water is Life’ and the Water Wisdom Quiz. Simple tips on saving water in households – with a potential of saving approx 300 litres per household - were also shared.

Jaipur – Rainwater Harvesting - Jal Rakshaks and the administration in Jaipur, a highly water scarce city, showed a keenness in knowing more about and implementing rainwater harvesting projects. The first rainwater harvesting project of Rajasthan University was set up by FORCE at their Centre for Water Management. This is now a demonstration site for Rainwater Harvesting. With the help of students and professors of the CWM, a rainwater harvesting plan is being prepared for Rajasthan University. FORCE is also supporting Jaipur Development Authority in its rainwater harvesting efforts across the city.

AWARENESS PROGRAMS

Mass Awareness programs and workshops on Water Conservation were held in schools, colleges, institutions and Residential areas of Delhi & NCR region, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Varanasi. These include a series of special events were organized by Jal Rakshaks in these cities in the World Water Week 2011. Approximately 4000 people have been reached out to last year in these programs.

WATER AND SANITATION (WATSAN) FOR THE URBAN POOR

As a part of our Swatch Delhi Swasth Delhi project – funded by Water Aid India- we have

adopted Municipal Wards 100 and 144 having 20 slum settlements with a population of approx 50,000 people. Through empowered community groups and partnerships with government, we are using our 11 Point Action program to make the slums in these wards – Model WATSAN slums. Significant success has already been achieved. More than Rupees One Crore of funds have been invested by the government in these areas for Water and Sanitation works. Many innovative community led WATSAN programs have been successfully launched. These include Kitchen Waste based Bio Gas units for cooking gas, Community Water Points for safe water distribution, House to House Garbage Collection scheme run by community members, and Monitoring and quarterly reporting to Deputy Commissioner of Community Toilet Complex service status by community.

Capacity Building and awareness programs on Water and Sanitation are also held in the slums and in the schools where children from these slums study. Innovative ways of communication, like magic shows, activity based story telling and street plays written by children and enacted by them, were used to impart WATSAN education.

SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

First Roundtable Conference on ‘Stakeholder Views on the Proposed Delhi Groundwater Bill’ - On 18th May 2010, FORCE in partnership with WaterAid India organized this conference. Approx 50 different stakeholders – from Delhi Jal board, Delhi Government Revenue Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Central Groundwater Board, consultants with Ministry of Water Resources, Academicians and NGOs working on water issues participated along with members of Residents Welfare Associations from all parts of Delhi. The objective of the Conference was to identify the concerns of various stakeholders regarding the Groundwater Bill, which takes away people’s free access to groundwater and seeks to give Delhi Jal Board complete power to control, manage and charge for groundwater in Delhi. One of its aims was to identify key policy and communication issues that need to be addressed before the introduction of this bill.

Training Programme on “Capacity Building for Adoption of Biogas Technology” - FORCE with support from WaterAid India partnered with Biogas Development and Training Centre (BDTC), IIT Delhi for organizing the above on March 29, 2011 at IIT Delhi. The training was held for 70 participants from various NGOs working in the area of biogas technology to disseminate this technology in India. Conducted by some of the top experts in the field of Bio Gas, it was a detailed seminar discussing the various aspects of biogas plant along with demo-site visit.

FORCE NEWS

BLUETIMES Photo Gallery

Respect Water – Kalash Ceremony

Rainwater Harvesting- From Child’s perspectiveWATSAN Exhibitions in schools Inner Wheel Club sings for Water

Children win prizes in Water Quiz

Inauguration of RWH at Gurgaon school

Energy from Waste with Bio Gas

Water Wisdom through Street playsWater Painting Competition entries Seminar on Delhi Groundwater Bill

Water Wise Greening with Kitchen Waste WaterCommunity Partnership – Drains in slums

Sharing Water Wisdom

FORCE: National Urban Water Award 2009

Urban Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting World Water Week Awareness Campaign

Flagging off Slum Safai Abhiyaan: MCD Councillor

Blue Delhi DeclarationPledge to make Delhi ‘Water Secure’ by 2016

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