Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of India

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Murugan
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

Post by Murugan »

Water in the Wells

Also view the slideshow embedded in the above article.

From above link

Impacts of water harvesting

Regeneration of the river Fofal

The river Fofal, like all the other rivers in the region, was not a perennial river. Water would be available in the river only up to November. As a result of the check dam building, the river has been regenerated. Today, water is seen in the river through out year including the lean months and the river flow is observed in almost nine months. Villagers use the river water for meeting all their needs, from drinking to irrigation. Women no longer have to walk miles to get water, and are able to devote time for education and other social activities.

Other ecological impacts

Villages, which once looked like a desert, have now turned into green areas. An integrated approach has been made to the watershed development including wasteland development, plantation of forest species and checking of soil erosion. The construction of dams helped to increase the water level in the wells from 152.4 m to 6 m below ground level. The sarpanch of another village, Mespar, said that water is now available for 24 hours.

Because of the increased availability of irrigation water, the land that was lying fallow came under cultivation and the total area under farming increased from 890 hectare (ha) in 1995-96 to 22275 ha in 2006-07. More than 5000 hectares of land was brought under irrigation. Farmers began to raise three crops per year and there is no shortage of drinking water. The average yield of cotton, groundnut, wheat and chilly increased substantially. The villagers reaped a profit of 15 crore (approximately US $ 3 million) at the end 2004 from agricultural products.

As the salinity of the soil decreased, the farmers can now grow cotton in almost 80 % of the cultivated area, replacing groundnut in many fields. According to VPSST, the cotton production at the end of 2004 increased ten times in the villages under watershed project. Jerambhai Patel, chairman of Watershed Committee says that in 2003, he earned only Rs. 50,000 (US $ 1000) from cotton and groundnut crops, whereas, in 2004, after water harvesting, his income shot up to Rs. 4 lakh (Us $ 8000).

The availability of the fodder has also increased the milk production (5 litres/day to 8 litres/day) from the cattle in the area. As a result about 16,000 litres of milk is produced per day in the areas under the watershed program.

Socio-economic impacts

The ecological regeneration arising from increased availability of water has led to socio-economic and lifestyle improvements. Newly constructed houses can be seen in almost all the villages under this watershed project. Villagers have purchased tractors and constructed pucca (cement construction) houses. More than 150 families have purchased motorcycles and increase in percentage of admission in schools increased from 50 to 90 %. More numbers of girl children are being sent to school. Womenfolk now do not have to travel very far for washing, cleaning or collecting water for potable uses. Other small streams villages have appreciable water even during peak summer.

The increase in agricultural activities not only assured employment to the local people but also provided jobs to the villagers of the neighbouring areas. The villagers went back to their original profession of farming and gave up polishing of gems and jewelleries. The migration to nearby cities has completely stopped and people in the villages concentrate on farming. Today not a single inhabitant of the village depends on drought relief.

6.4 Community mobilisation

The VPSST acknowledges that local communities have an excellent knowledge of the geology, topography of the land and are thus best placed to decide on the design, height, location etc of the check dam. The role of VPSST was to secure and manage the finances and to provide training to the villages on construction technologies.

VPSST also encouraged villagers to involve themselves in the construction work. This would reduce the costs and also ensure quality of construction. Village communities, led by the sarpanch, would decide on the cost of the project, based on detailed calculations for stone, sand, cement etc. Villagers were then convinced of the genuineness of the cost estimates and contributed their share more willingly.

Initially people were not interested in the public participation for the construction of the check dams. Villagers were distrustful of government programmes and were reluctant to participate. The trust had to hold several meetings to convince the villagers that they stood to gain from the building of check dams to hold rainwater. VPSST therefore, started the movement by going ahead with the construction without any contribution from the villagers. Once the benefits of the check dams were visible to the people, they then came forward to be part of this endeavour.

By the end of 2005, the trust was successful in this movement and many farmers joined the user group for an assured source of irrigation. Due to availability of water in the river/rivulets through out year, there is no competition between the farmers for lifting water from the water bodies. Any one, irrespective of caste and creed, can use the river water for irrigation.

**********

Traditional Water Harvesting In Bharat
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Post by Haresh »

Murugan,

Many Thanks for that, I will definatly be following that up.

Regards

Haresh
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Dry district shows a nation how to get wet

Hamirpur, June 5 -- A small district in Himachal Pradesh, a traditionally dry area that has experienced water woes for several years, is showing India how to conserve water. To tackle water scarcity, villagers in the district began harvesting rain water in khatris (deep pits) lined with impervious rocks, several years ago.

This simple form of water conservation caught the eye of the district administration, and, 11 years ago, it launched a water conservation drive in the region. They began by experimenting with harvesting water from rooftops of about 14 village houses.

Soon, a series of check dams were built to hold rain water for using after rains. Today, Hamirpur has 4,339 small and big check dams and 507 farm ponds.

"We have achieved it by involving the community," says Abhishek Jain, deputy commissioner, Hamirpur. "We also brought all the departments, working separately on water conservation under one roof for effective results.

" In the last six months, 666 traditional water sources in as many villages have been rejuvenated in government land. Rooftop rain water harvesting tanks have been installed in schools and village council offices and buildings.

The results are there to see. The ground water level in Hamirpur has shown an increase of over a metre from 2000 to 2008, according to NASA satellite data.

"We are able to use the water stored through check dams as per our own needs, for household requirement or for irrigating our fields," says Mathu Ram (54), a farmer from Kasiri village. "The hand pumps near the dams are re-charged.

" Inspired by Hamirpur's success, the state government has decided to spend 40 per cent of the Rs 900 crore.
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Post by Murugan »

Do massaland, ukstan and other developed countries have water woes?
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In Dindigal District of TN, there has been an effort lately to link irrigation tanks by desilting them and renovating their supply channels with the help of villagers. After a successful pilot project, the scheme is being extended.
Collector M. Vallalar said that 109-km supply channel would be rehabilitated and linked with 50 tanks.

It will generate 3.55 lakh man days providing jobs to lakhs of rural farm workers who have registered their names under MGNREGS.

A total of 215 million cubic feet of water will be stored in these renovated tanks and 1,200 open wells and 3,750 bore wells will be recharged.

The water table at nearby villages will go up sharply. Besides, 22,725 hectares of land will be brought back to cultivation. Water stored in these tanks would feed 71,000 cattle and act as sustainable drinking water source to more than 30 habitations, he added.
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One man's initiative ensures water-security in drought conditions
Planting lakhs of trees, designing hundreds of check dams, and evolving new techniques of irrigating tree saplings in dry regions are feats of an out-of-the-box thinker named Mr. Premjibhai Patel, Rajkot, Gujarat.

Now Mr. Patel is concentrating on watershed development through an organization called Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust. The trust works through about 150 nature clubs on nearly 1,000 hectares. The trust launched a campaign in several villages for ground water conservation through well recharge.

“Though the government introduced several schemes to encourage the development of checkdams’ in drought prone regions of Gujarat and offered subsidies, villagers did not evince interest in them because they often considered check dams as government projects. To motivate people to actively participate in building dams and to bring awareness on groundwater recharging I introduced a scheme for people,” says the farmer.

Mr. Patel himself bears the cost of checkdam construction except cement cost. (In some cases the farmer also bore the total cost including cement). Those interested in the scheme contacted him and he personally visited the area to get first hand information about the location and help them construct the dams.

Explaining the checkdam construction method Mr. Premjibhai says:

“I place large stones in the middle of the flowing water and use river sand, stones and cement to fill the gap between the stones. Iron rods are inserted into holes in the stones for added strength. The body wall of the dam is built in such a way that it slopes at an angle of 60 degrees and the width of the top wall maintained at one metre height (height can be increased in future)."

According to the farmer, circular dams are more economical than the straight ones, because the thin walls of the dams make them cost effective.

About 1,500 check dams and 50,000 feet of pipeline for recharging underground wells are his contribution to society.

Mr. Premjibhai’s initiative in water conservation ensures water security even in a drought season. Today farmers no longer remain idle even during summer as ground water table has increased considerably and there is timely water availability for agricultural activities. He also bagged the National Water Award recently from the Ministry of Water Resources.
Hats off to Mr. Premjibhai.
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Drinking Arsenic

A report prepared by the Department of Minor Irrigation and Ground water has claimed that groundwater in 49 out of 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh is not fit for human consumption as it contains arsenic. “Water was tested from 20,000 hand-pumps across the State. Samples of 11,021 hand-pumps were found to contain water contaminated with carcinogenic elements,” said the report.
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UN Recognizes Access to Clean Water as a Human Right
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2010 ... 29-01.html
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

Post by vish_mulay »

Has this been posted before? If so apologies in advance.
http://www.rmaf.org.ph/asia.conference/pdf/RSingh.pdf
The story of revival of Arvari river in Rajasthan. One mans struggle to bring perennial river back. Modern day Bhagirath.
Last edited by vish_mulay on 31 Jul 2010 06:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Pranay »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10819040

Water relief for Chennai via the Desalination route....
A desalination plant which begins operating in Madras on Saturday will provide some of the cheapest drinking water in India, backers say.

They say that the plant will supply 1,000 litres of drinking water for just over $1 and could well be a "template" for other coastal Indian cities.

The company behind the plant says that it is the biggest in South Asia.

It will provide 100 million litres of water a day to the city by filtering sea water under high pressure.

In comparison, the government-run water board supplies about 650 million litres of water to the city's seven million residents.
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Post by prinfo »

Nanodams may be another answer. www.nanodams.org

It's like having ponds all across the river, especially in summer when water is needed the most..
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Facilities soon to monitor quality of waterbodies in and around Chennai
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board plans to establish facilities to monitor the quality of water at waterbodies around Chennai.

The testing stations, proposed in Poondi, Red Hills, Porur and Pulicat, will study the physiochemical and bacteriological parameters of the water.

The Veeranam lake in Cuddalore district from where water is supplied to Chennai would also get a similar facility.

The TNPCB now monitors the water quality through 32 stations in Cauvery, Thamirabarani and Vaigai rivers and Kodaikanal, Udhagamandalam and Yercaud lakes.

The Zonal Officer, CPCB, (South Zone) A.Manoharan said, “We have asked the TNPCB to add 50 more stations in water sources, including temple tanks, drinking waterbodies, borewells used for drinking water and also have additional stations in rivers.”
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Navy & NDRF begin clean-up of Kerala river
Personnel belonging to the Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday launched clean-up of the Rayarom river at Alakkode which has been polluted by the dumping of a large quantity of pesticides.

A 12-member team of Navy divers, who reached the area in the morning, joined a 28-member NDRF team to remove old bottles and packets of pesticides.

The pesticides, whose expiry date was over, were taken from a local pesticides shop and dumped into the river on August 1. Six persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Navy and the NDRF personnel formed three teams to identify the spots where the bottles and packets of pesticides were lodged in rocks under the water. The officials said the pesticides could have scattered in the strong undercurrents following heavy rain in the area in the past few days.

The personnel were not able to remove a substantial quantity of pesticides till the afternoon, the officials said.
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Post by Lalmohan »

Murugan, yes massa and uk have water woes
massa has for years depleted the oglala aquifer to feed the western states and farm the prairie, this water is rapidly running out and not being replenished. arizona has lost over 60% of its rivers in the past 100 years (approx)

the uk despite having high rainfall is unable to store it due to a high limestone geography. the water runs into the sea and if there is more than 3-4 weeks without rain in the summer months or low rainfall in autumn, the lake water levels plummet, however it never reaches emergency levels

aquifer depletion is a problem in india as well, free electricity for farmers has meant excessive depletion through pumping. i think much more has to be done for rainwater collection and regulation at a micro and macro level

however, that also increases the probability of malaria!
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monsoon is being reported as 6% less than normal
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Post by Murugan »

Water: The country’s inconvenient truth

India’s march towards high growth has to be matched with water conservation, which can come only with every individual’s help

India’s inconvenient truth is that our country’s per-capita water availability has declined from 2,309 cu m in 1991 to below 1,700 cu m — the official waterstressed mark today. And if we do not change our ways dramatically, we are in real danger of becoming water-scarce, with per-capita availability nearing the 1,000 cu m by 2050, and our economic aspirations but a rude mirage.
...

Compared to developed countries that capture and store over 900 days of rainfall in major river basins, India captures just 30 days. Consequently, of the total precipitation, a mere 1,123 BCM of water is available for utilisation: 690 BCM in the shape of surface water, and 433 BCM as groundwater resource.

...

While the supply of water has remained finite, the demand on water by all the consuming sectors has been increasing with our growing economy and population. As is the case in most emerging economies, agriculture uses about 80% of our water supplies, industry uses 8% and domestic consumption is 6%.

...

There is excessive unregulated drawing of groundwater, leading to continuous depletion, as there is little effort to recharge it.
...

Even today, only 60% of the waste water generated by industry is treated. Credit where it is due: large industries today are becoming increasingly responsible. However, huge potential
exists amongst all industry, especially small and medium enterprises, to adopt water conserving and water treatment technologies.
...
Water sits at the nexus of food security, education, gender empowerment and global disease. How can we protect this valuable resource?

The good news is that it definitely can be done — and indeed, has been done in several countries. The US was faced with a similar situation back in 1960s. Their efforts to improve water use efficiency resulted in per-capita water consumption dropping 20% between 1980 and 2000. On my recent visit to the Singapore International Water Week, I was amazed to see that they have been able to reuse 100% of their wastewater. What’s more, they are able to recycle 10% of the entire wastewater and convert it into fresh, potable water that they call NEWater.

Here in India too, there are several outstanding examples of path-breaking work across the country...

To solve the country’s looming water crisis, we need an unlimited supply of what I call ‘freshwater thinking’.
...

The unique thing about water is that every citizen — every citizen — including you and me, is a consumer of water. The need of the hour is for every Indian and every organisation to play their part in conserving, reusing and replenishing water. We owe it to our country. We owe it to our children.

ET, 30th August 2010
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Stop polluting Ganga or face music, says Ramesh

Press Trust Of India / Kanpur August 29, 2010, 0:54 IST

The government today warned the factories and tanneries, which discharge waste without treatment into the river Ganga, and said action to shut them would be initiated if they continued to do this.

“Ganga is getting polluted day-by-day. Nearly 170 factories and tanneries located between Kannauj and Varanasi, covering an area of 450 km, were found responsible for polluting the river by discharging wastes into it without treatment,” Union Minister For Environment And Forests Jairam Ramesh said. “The government will issue showcause notices to these industrial units on August 30 and if they fail to take any action within 15 days, steps will be initiated to shut them,” he said.

The minister was in the city to participate in the Ganga river basin management workshop organised by IIT-Kanpur. Ruing over the inaction of state pollution control board, Ramesh said the responsibility of making the river pollution free would now be entrusted upon the Central Pollution Control Board.

“The government has set aside Rs 15,000 crore for the next 10 years to check pollution in Ganga. The fund would be shared by the Centre and state government on 70:30 basis,” he said.
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Post by joshvajohn »

IANS
World Bank cites Andhra water project for food security
http://sify.com/news/world-bank-cites-a ... cfccg.html

Water reforms and India's experiences
R. MARIA SALETH
http://www.hindu.com/br/2010/08/31/stor ... 921800.htm

Local engineer spends two years helping out in India
# Chip Halbert helped villagers make sand filters to capture rainwater from rooftops and showed them how micro-hydroelectric projects could provide power to remote areas.
http://www.djc.com/news/en/12021310.html



Comments | Share | Print | Rate
BUSINESS_STANDARD
Managing the monsoons
http://sify.com/finance/managing-the-mo ... cbgee.html


Managing water, preventing floods
by Rajan Philips
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/05/man ... _floo.html


IT is essential to meet the demands for drinking and for agriculture by managing the flood water in India. It is essential to build dams and build water cannels.

In many places by raising the riversides and managing them for distribution will increase water resources to meet growing populations' demand in India.
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Post by joshvajohn »

What about water supply through Nuclear Desalination?

India's Water Crisis Sparks Demand for AEHI's Nuclear Desalination Systems
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/indias ... _news_stmp
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A sombre appraisal of water resources
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article820214.ece

Ganges barrage work from 2012
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/n ... nid=157349

It is essential to use Ganges water to other parts of India - particularly Central and other regions in India. lots of water is wasted in the sea.

We are often not fair in disrtibuting to Bangladesh and also a lot of industries still send their waste into Ganges.

It is essential to share this water and make industries to develop their own projects of recycling of water.

The water should also be available to WestBengal in a fair share but at the same time the remaining water can be sent down to Central and South Regions of India's reservoirs.

This will radically change our agricultural productions and thus give a big growth for India.
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Change the flow of water policy

TUSHAAR SHAH
Senior Fellow International Water Management Institute, Colombo

THE GOVERNMENT ENUNCIATED ITS FIRST National Water Policy in 1987. A revised version was enunciated in 2002. Yet another revision is underway, for which view have been sought. Here are some bold suggestions.

First, the new policy should be written for implementation. That cannot be said about water policies of 1987 and 2002. Both are litanies of platitudes, and have remained paper policies. Little of what these said has been implemented. A good policy statement should (i) be realistic, (ii) clearly specify what will be done differently from the past, and (iii) contain an implementation pathway. The earlier water policies had none of these. They are statements of vision, not policy. As South Africa did in the early 1990s, a shared vision should be set out in a white paper. But the policy should clearly state how business as usual will change.

Second, water policy cannot speak just for the Union ministry of water resources. It must speak also for other strategic water sector players. For instance, it must include the concerns of electricity utilities that power irrigation pumps. After all, these pumps irrigate more land today than all government irrigation systems. Likewise, it must integrate mega-programmes such as MGNREGA that invest more in improving rural water security than large dams and canals.

Third, water is a state subject. The central government’s water policy has little traction without buy-in from the states. To be realistic, the new water policy needs to focus on influencing state governments’ actions and policies through (i) central support to state water projects through programmes like Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programmes (AIBP) and JNNURM, (ii) the central government’s role in mediating water investments of multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, (iii) the environmental assessment and clearance regime, and (iv) the role the Centre can play in managing trans-boundary inter-state and international waters. The water policy also needs to expand its repertoire of instruments to influence state’s water policies.

Fourth, policy needs to be realistic about the practicality of direct water demand-management instruments. Imposing groundwater cess and reshaping property rights regimes is easier said than done. The states have made several water laws but their enforcement has been impossible. Volumetric water pricing has been talked about; but implementation is a far cry.

This is not surprising. India’s water economy is predominantly informal, with 90% users self-providing for their needs directly from aquifers, rivers and ponds. Experience worldwide suggests that it is easier to regulate large institutional users — corporates, municipalities, etc — than millions of small and dispersed users. Direct demand management will become effective when, over a 30-50 year period, this informal water economy morphs into a ‘water industry’.

Fifth, integrated water resources management in our context implies factoring into our policy calculus the momentous implications of water infrastructure for land, power and carbon footprint. The British began building large irrigation systems when land went abegging and population pressure was low. Today, when land acquisition is a contested issue in the country’s development, we need to recognise that irrigation dams and canals are inefficient use of land, more so because they do their job so poorly.

Take the case of Gujarat. Between 1961 and 2004, Gujarat government acquired 19.21 lakh hectares to create irrigation potential of 30.59 lakh hectares. In reality, Gujarat today has just 6.8 lakh hectares under canal irrigation, a fifth of the promised potential. The state has removed three hectares from productive uses to make one hectare more productive. Gujarat’s Sardar Sarovar Project irrigates less than 10% of its planned command because farmers are unwilling to part with the land for constructing distribution system. Clearly, the way forward is to license farmers, cooperatives and other irrigation service providers to invest in underground piped distribution systems that save land and provide pressurised irrigation-on-demand.

Sixth, policy must also address growing energy intensity and carbon footprint of irrigation: Indian farmers use 75-85 billion kWh per year of electricity and some 3.5-4 billion litres of diesel in pumping groundwater. Deep tubewells in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Malwa, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh are great power guzzlers. Using surface water storage to reduce energy intensity of deep tubewell irrigation can be more beneficial than the irrigation value of that water.

Seventh, groundwater depletion has increased carbon footprint of Indian irrigation. Groundwater irrigation accounts for 4-6% of the country’s carbon emissions. A decline of 1 m in groundwater level raises carbon emissions from pumping by 4-6%. Moreover, 1% increase in groundwater irrigated area raises emissions by 2.2%. Allocating a portion of reservoir storage to large managed aquifer recharge in deep groundwater areas can reduce power subsidies and generate carbon credits.

Finally, we must address persistently-poor performance of irrigation systems before we throw more good money after bad in dams and canals. Since 1991, we have invested over Rs 1,50,000 crore in public irrigation with little rise in the area benefited. We need to shift focus from construction work, which is lucrative, to improving system management, which is hard work. The new water policy will make a quantum leap if it puts into place an effective performance management system for public water infrastructure. The first step, naturally, is establishing a real-time management information system as the foundation of a programme for reforming management of public water systems.

ET 19th October 2010
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Post by joshvajohn »

WEF India: thirst for water
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2010/1 ... for-water/


Government working a water pricing policy to check waste: Ahluwalia
http://www.domain-b.com/economy/infrast ... walia.html

IVRCL to increase capacity of desalination plant
http://www.thehindu.com/business/compan ... 859751.ece
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Things are moving:

Monday, November 15, 2010
Ministry of Environment and Forests

PIB Release

Sewage Treatment Plants across 21 Towns for Cleaning of Yamuna
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19:19 IST
A total of 276 schemes including 38 sewage treatment plants have been completed in 21 towns of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi and 753.25 million litres per day of sewage treatment capacity has been created under cleaning of river Yamuna. Of this , 401.25 mld in Uttar Pradesh, 322 mld in Haryana and 30 mld sewage treatment capacity is in Delhi. To supplement the efforts of State Governments in addressing the problem of pollution of river Yamuna, Government of India is implementing Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) with assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency, Government of Japan in a phased manner. The works taken up under YAP include interception and diversion of raw sewage, setting up of sewage treatment plants, creation of low cost sanitation facilities, setting up of electric/improved wood crematoria and river front development.

To ensure that only treated effluent is discharged into the river Yamuna in its Delhi stretch, which contributes maximum pollution load to the river, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has prepared schemes for laying of interceptor sewers along three major drains namely Najafgarh, Shahdara and Supplementary, augmentation of sewage treatment capacity, interception of drains, rehabilitation of trunk sewers, laying of sewerage system in unsewered colonies and rural areas and desilting of peripheral/internal sewers. The interceptor sewer project has recently been approved by CCEA under JNNURM at a cost of Rs. 1357 crore. These works are envisaged to be completed in a phased manner.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in a written reply to a question by Sh Sabir Ali in Rajya Sabha today.
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

Post by Murugan »

ancient water wisdom


few examples:

Grand Anicut of Chola Rajas 2000 years ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Anicut

Sudarshan Lake at Junagadh built (or repaired) by Emperor Chandragupt in 4th Century BC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Gujarat

Agrasen Ki Baoli in New Delhi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrasen_ki_Baoli

Adalaj ni vav (stepwell of ahmedabd)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalaj

Bada Talab built by Bhopal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Lake_(Bhopal)

Surajkund by tomar rajas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surajkund

Reign of Rana Lakha in 14th Century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Pichola

many lakes in water starved rajasthan were built great kings and rulers
http://www.indialine.com/travel/rajasthan/lakes.html

Chitradurga lake by Mysore Rajas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitradurga
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

Post by joshvajohn »

Murugan I like your list from different websites. Do we miss such ancient wisdom among political leaders of India today?

Education and water resource management are critical areas for sustainable index: BT index
http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/Ne ... 4995727044
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

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A very unpleasant video

http://current.com/shows/vanguard/blog/ ... m#comments

http://current.com/shows/vanguard/blog/ ... m#comments

What the $UCK is the Delhi/national govt doing???? :((

Is anyone seriously going to tell me that a series of pit latrines cannot be built by army engineers right along the banks of the Yammuna??

I saw the full documentary, I was shocked, surely the govt/authorities can institute some sort of Urban Employment Garuantee type scheme and just mobalise the poor to build their own latrines.

HOLY $HIT!!!!! :(

I will copy this to the Urban development discussion.
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

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Where Has All The Water Gone?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-cham ... 78491.html

GSB: Sab Miller
Innovative water use in India
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-b ... ater-india

English dictionaries have borrowed a word from India 'Annaikattu' which means dam -

I feel that in South Tamil Nadu after two years heavy rain comes. No TN or Central government is planning to stop flooding water flowing into the sea. I do not understand why cannot they build small dams to stop these water and maintain it for underwater and other purposes for the rest of the year. Giving away free tv and others things go waste if these kind of investment is made this will live for long time - Kamaraj and Nehru were good in that; MGR would react to any such information immediately if he finds it good - but now unpopularly popular programmes are carried out by Kalaigner though he was supposed to be prodevelopment. He may not have time now to think about all this as his family problems and disputes and money distribution and other things all matter and also trying to win the next election with or without congress is all matters! Water now let it flow into the sea and let these people come to the streets with their empty pots calling for banth then we will do something!
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 058653.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 058641.cms

Chennai is full of water with flooding. But the politicians do not worry about saving or preserving this water somewhere. This water can be preserved and distributed for next two years if the canals and other reservoirs are renovated. All in election mood and so giving some freebies is part of flood relief and then forget it again.
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

Post by Murugan »

Mr. Ramesh Chauhan CEO/MD/Owner of Bisleri commented on apathy of the govt agencies and their scandulous stupid ways.
Did you know Mumbai’s municipal corporation has invested 100s of crores to pump clean rain water into the sea? Now they’re talking of setting up desalination plants to bring it back for consumption.




http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/fea ... 909092.cms
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Monday, December 13, 2010

Delhi to get first water gallery (Hindu 10/12/2010)
Will give extensive and intensive details about water, its presence and conservation

NEW DELHI: There is water in everything, even in a pair of shoes. At the country's first ever gallery dedicated to water that is coming up in the city, such unusual details about water, its consumption, wastage and the need for conservation will be put together.

In a few days from now Delhi will get its first water museum, “Elixir of Life -- Water and Waste Water Gallery”, which has been designed and set up by the Delhi Jal Board in collaboration with the National Science Centre.

“The gallery will give extensive and intensive details about water and its presence in everyday life. Through interactive exhibits the gallery will talk about the importance of water and how it finds a place in every aspect of life. For instance how much water is needed to grow a single apple or how much water is there in a hamburger will all be made available at the gallery,” said DJB public relations officer Sanjam Chima.

More importantly the gallery will underscore the need for water conservation.
“Water is a commodity that is running out and in a city with a growing demand like Delhi, water conservation is important. Through the various exhibits we will focus on how much water gets wasted and why we need to conserve it, after all water sustains life and there is no alternative to it,” said Ms. Chima.

The gallery will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on December 14 at the National Science Centre. “The gallery has been set up on a turnkey basis and the DJB has spent Rs. 57 lakh on its creation. The funds for the gallery that took a year to shape up were received under the Yamuna Action Plan II. This gallery is part of the public awareness programme focussing on the conservation of water and the river Yamuna,” said Ms. Chima.

The entry to the exhibition will be through a virtual pond of water that creates ripples and sounds as one steps on it. “The Chief Minister's brief was to make the gallery state-of-the-art. It should be interesting and yet drive home the message of water conservation. The gallery has been equipped with simulated exhibits that uncover all aspects of water and its use. The exhibition ends with a quiz on water, and a pledge on water conservation, where the visitors can make a vow to conserve water and protect this unique life-supporting source for our future generations,” said Ms. Chima.
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

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EverythingAboutWater provides effective solutions to key water issues
http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/Ne ... 5038959387

Water loss in Mumbai at 50% is highest in country: Report

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_w ... rt_1490423

It is essential to invest in the recycling of water for agri use. Koovam water (in CHennai) can be recycled for the use of agriculture. I notice Gujarat govt is already doing this.
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Yamuna Pollution Free Drive

Mathura Becomes Polythene Free

MATHURA: Amid a drive to make river Yamuna pollution free in the holy city, a trust today claimed it had made Lord Krishna's birthplace free of polythene bags.

The Lord's birthplace had been completely rid of bags made of polythene, the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan said.

Trust's secretary Kapil Sharma and member Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi said all temples in the vicinity of Krishna's birthplace had been made polythene-free.

Only environment-friendly products would be used from today for worship purposes, they said.

A ban on selling products in polythene has already been enforced in the city.

ET, 5 March 2011
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Taj in Real Danger Due to Polluted Yamuna

Agra, March 5: Till recently it was a mere conjecture, but now signs of stress and physical distortions on the marble surface are beginning to confirm what everyone has been fearing - the Taj Mahal is in real danger from the dry and polluted Yamuna.

"It's simple, plain and logical to suggest that the Taj Mahal cannot remain in good health for long if its sustaining force, the river Yamuna, is in poor condition," declares R. Nath, whose latest book on the Taj, India's iconic tourist destination and a World Heritage monument, explains the developing scenario in detail.

Experts in the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have all along been downplaying the threats from the dry and polluted river.

Entry to the chambers in the foundation of the huge edifice has been sealed for years and no independent agency has carried out extensive surveys that could reassure and allay the fears expressed by doomsday forecasters like Nath.

ASI officials refuse to entertain questions about the state of the Taj's foundation. However, a senior ASI official, who preferred not to be named, confided that cracks in the foundation were noticed some years ago and that they had been repaired.

"The cracks were not small, they were big," he said.

Raman, a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee, said: "I have heard reports about ant-hills and termite colonies in the basement of the Taj Mahal."

The controversial Taj Corridor project - construction of a corridor on the river bed - left the monument in the lurch and the artificially developed park in the rear has permanently distanced the Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, fundamentally altering the physical conditions of the whole complex.

This was against the categorical directive of the S. Varadarajan committee, which said there should be no tinkering with the physical conditions around the monument, an activist said.

Shravan Bharti, a conservationist, said "they (the authorities) are playing with the safety of the Taj Mahal."

R.K. Dixit, the official in charge of the Taj Mahal, confirmed that from the main gate to the central white marble dome the distance is 300 metres. Also, from Mehtab Bagh across the river to the Taj Mahal, the distance is exactly 300 metres."

This means the river was central to the overall design of the whole complex, stressed Rajan Kishore, who has been organising action programmes and fasts for the river Yamuna's protection from pollution.

"If one part of the body is sick and paralysed how can one say the monument is healthy and in good shape?" he asked.

According to Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, the sand blowing in from the dry Yamuna and tonnes of desert sand coming with the westerlies have been a cause of concern for long.

Both V.K. Shukla of the Central Pollution Control Board and B.B. Awasthi of the UP State Pollution Control Board confirm that the soot and dust in the air around the Taj Mahal continues to remain alarmingly high. The dry river bed could be a contributing factor, they said.

However, "the Agra air is much cleaner and safer now with the sulphur dioxide level gone down significantly," insisted one official.

The level of finer sand particles is much higher than the normal but can be brought down if there is water in the river, scientists of the pollution board said.

Author Nath is particularly concerned about the use of Fuller's Earth to whiten the Taj's marble surface. Fuller's Earth is widely used in Europe as a bleaching agent before the shearing of sheep.

"In the beginning it was once in several years, but lately it's every now and then. They misled public opinion by calling it "Multani Mitti." Only later it was discovered that they were importing Fuller's Earth. The original "Vajra Lep," the polish on the white marble, did not require any further treatment and should have been left undisturbed," Nath told the media on phone from Ajmer.

The extensive use of saline or brackish water from the Yamuna has also affected the monument's surface, said Vishal, an environmentalist and photographer.

The question to the ASI is simple, says Nath. "Was a dry Yamuna in the original plan of Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor who built the monument in memory of his wife Noor Jehan). If the river was integrated in the original plan, for the Taj Mahal's safety and for the scenic ambience it provides, is the objective fulfilled by the dry and polluted river?" he asked. (IANS)
http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/s ... 77148.html
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Environment Ministry Clears 43 Projects to Clear Ganga
The environment ministry on Monday said it had sanctioned 43 projects worth over Rs 2,476 crore to make the Ganga pollution-free and to conserve it under the Mission Clean Ganga project.

The projects, sanctioned in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are aimed at enabling Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand to develop sewer networks, sewage treatment plans and sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets and development of river fronts, according to a ministry release. Of the total Rs 1,314 crore has been sanctioned for the projects in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 656 crore for West Bengal, Rs 442 crore for Bihar and Rs 64 crore for Uttarakhand.

According to another statement, the ministry had withdrawn the revised guidelines for determination of critical wildlife habitats, issued by it last month, owing to complaints by civil society members of violating the traditional rights of tribals.
http://www.sify.com/finance/environment ... jfggf.html
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Re: Preserving, Enhancing and Improving Water Resources of I

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European Union launches project in Jodhpur

This project about 'Poverty Reduction of Desert Communities in the Dry Lands of Western Rajasthan through Integrated Community Based Water Resource Management' is implemented by the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF) and will focus on reducing the vulnerability of the poor in the water-scarce Marwar Region.

The EU support is over a period of 48 months (till December 2014) and is directly benefitting 80 villages of Barmer, Jalore and Jaisalmer districts in the Marwar region, reaching a beneficiary population of 100,000. The overall budget is Euro 1.1 million of which 90% (INR 6 crs.) is the EU's contribution.

The implementing partner, Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, is an Indian NGO which has been working in Marwar since 2002 to enhance water security in the context of sustainable development.
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Bihar to undertake river interlinking projects: Minister

Patna, Mar 8 (PTI) The state government will undertake river inter-linking projects during the next financial year to optimally utilise its water resources, Bihar Water Resources Minister Vijay Chaudhary said today.

Four projects in north Bihar, Budhi Gandak-Non-Baya-Ganga, Koshi-Bagmati link, Bagmati-Budhi Gandak link and Kohra-Chandrawat link, have been taken up, he said in the state assembly replying to discussion on Rs.
2916.91 crore budget of the department for the financial year 2011-12.

Another project - Koshi-Mechi link - has been conceived for irrigation purposes and the National Water Development Agency asked to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard, Chaudhary said.

The construction works for Budhi Gandak-Baya project may start in the financial year 2011-12 as the 13th Finance Commission sanctioned Rs. 333 crore for the purpose, the minister said.

Similarly, the state government has taken up two river inter-linking projects in South Bihar for irrigation purposes - Dhanaraje-Phulwaria link and Sakri-Nata link - Chaudhary said.

Stating that the DPRs of the two river inter-linking projects in South Bihar are in final stages, he said that the execution of these projects may start in 2011-12.

The state government also formulated new irrigation projects under which a second barrage will be constructed at Areraj on river Gandak, while irrigation and water recession projects will also come up at Bagmati and Mokama Taal regions, Chaudhary said.

The availability of per capita water per year has been steadily going down since 1991 in the country and the figure in case of Bihar was more alarming, the minister cautioned adding the people of the state faced a stark prospect of availability of less than 1000 cubic meter per capita by 2015 as against the corresponding figure of 1594 in 2001.

The water resources department''s budget for 2011-12 was passed by the state assembly with majority votes.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article ... id=5007520
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