BLUETIMES Vol 3

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Volum 3 | March 2012 | www.force.org.in

Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE)

www.force.org.in

BLUETIMESa quarterly magazine by FORCE, New Delhi, India

Volume 3 | Mar 2012

Highlight

Walk for Water – for All 2012 P4

Policy

Draft National Water Policy 2012 P 7, 8

Technology

Kitchen Waste Water Treatment P6

Plus

Photo Gallery P2, 15

People for Policy P 9

Jal Rakshak In Focus P 10

FORCE News P 14

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BLUETIMESa quarterly magazine by FORCE

Founder Editor & President, FORCEMs Jyoti Sharma

Creative EditorMr Arun Raj

Reporting TeamMs Akansha Dwivedi, Ms Darshan Anand,

Ms Jasvinder Kaur, Mr Krishna Kumar Tiwari

Printed byAdroit Printers

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President’s NoteDear Friends

Namaskar!

Every year World Water Day seems to be getting bigger and bigger. This year, as I sat through endless policy discussions, technical presentations, angry activism and awareness events…. I was appalled by the total disconnect of each set with the other.

It left me with a sense of deja vu. All high visibility issues (AIDS, Global Warming, Polio etc) seem to follow the same trajectory. They start with a slow build up – as sporadic reports or actions by opinion leaders. They keep building up till they reach ‘Tipping Point’. That’s when commercial interests and governments realize the scale of the issue and opportunities it presents. Then they suddenly take off –fund allocations spiral, media activism steps in, new technology companies fight to establish their products and there’s a spurt in civil society campaigns for it. There is frenzied activity as everyone tries to take a share of the pie. Slowly, a plateauing of interest starts. Dissenting opinions and controversies about impact become louder. People start avoiding being associated with the issue. In the end – it’s business as usual – till the next fad arrives.

This is not to say that positive change is not an outcome. But who the maximum beneficiaries are and what the actual social cost was, are questions best left unanswered.

Also, in the process, simple, holistic guiding principles are lost. Complicated, expensive, divisive partial solutions replace them. Simple rules and processes that helped less sophisticated beings survive through the millennia are discarded. New industries, sophisticated number crunching, socio-economic changes and consultancies are born, bringing with them new sources of legal / illegal income. A new cycle of problem transfer – through sectors, regions and generations - begins.

Let us not repeat this cycle with Water. The simple truth about Water, is that we made a simple mistake. ‘We’ simply forgot that we had to balance Water consumption with the supply available to us. The ‘We’ includes governments, people, industries and farmers (but excludes animals, natural forests and Water ecosystems – who have all learnt to live with less than their fair share of water).

To undo this mistake, all ‘We’ need, is to re-learn the ‘Water Wise’ balancing act- a return to simplicity. ‘We’ all must re-learn to live appropriately within the sustainable water supply available to us. Planning must aim to harmonize lifestyles and livelihoods with local water supply. Guided by simple Water Wisdom principles, we must adopt appropriate technologies, campaigns and policy to give the Right to Water for all.

Let us not mistake disjointed hyperactivity for effective solutions. Making Water ‘everyone’s business’....but not a ‘Business’… may save us from walking, once again, the path of disenchantment and despair.

With Warm regards

Jyoti Sharma (Ashoka Fellow)President, FORCE

PLEDGE WATER FOR ALL-2012

Today, as we join people all over the World in reminding ourselves that Water is a precious but scarce gift that God gave to all his creation, I pledge:

→ To remember that every drop I save is a drop that reduces someone’s misery somewhere

→ To recognise that water is a shared gift - a universal right.

→ To support efforts to provide Safe Drinking Water for All

→ To contribute towards ensuring Water for All by

- Adopting the 5 R’s of Water - Reduce, Reuse, Recharge, Recycle and, above all, Respect water

- Reshaping my lifestyle choices to reduce my water footprint

- Care for my less fortunate bretheren and support them in getting Water for All

- Make my city - Delhi - a model for others by contributing to the Blue Delhi Campaign.

I pledge to honour the promise I have made today, to make Delhi a ‘Blue Delhi’ having Water for All.

C O V E R S T O R Y

In 1993, United Nations General Assembly declared March 22nd as the World Water Day to address the global water crises. Since then, every year this day brings with it a promise of making the world a more ‘Water Secure’ place to live in. It is a call from the World’s apex welfare body to join hands & work cohesively to avert the biggest crisis that mankind is likely to face in this millennium.

FORCE – Celebrating World Water Day

Every year, FORCE brings together people and organisations to ‘Walk for Water’ and pledge commitment to the focus area for the year.

In 2011, FORCE & our partners ‘Walked for Water’ at Rajpath with nearly 1800 people who participated & jointly took the Blue Delhi pledge - a five year commitment envisaging a Water-Secure Delhi.

World Water Day 2012 – Co-ordinating Steps For ‘Water For All’

This year, the theme for the walk was ‘Water For All’. FORCE & all partners walked together to highlight the fact that Water is a basic necessity that must be equally available to all.

With Water becoming increasingly scarce, the fight for it is getting desperate. A rising population needs water for basic sustenance, urban demand is increasing; more water is needed for the growing food requirements; industries & energy. All this is increasing concerns regarding environmental sustainability. In this fight, unfortunately, it is the poor who suffer the most. They get the least quantity, the poorest quality & yet end up paying the maximum to access the bare minimum they need to survive.

Increase in sectoral Water use efficiency, stringent laws to prevent pollution & water being treated as an economic good, are some of the measures being taken by governments all over the world. In this inter-sectoral tug of war that is leading to accountability for non – revenue water & increasing productivity per drop, it is important to make sure that the voices of the disadvantaged are also heard. An institutional framework to ensure the basic Right of Safe Water for All must be created. Efficiency of water use must go hand in hand with equity in availability for all. This is not just a task for the government. We all need to contribute our efforts towards making this vision a reality.

‘Walk for Water – For All’ 2012 brought this message alive. By bringing

together diverse civil society organizations, government bodies, citizens cutting across socio economic strata & age-groups, it announced proudly that we all stand united for the cause of Water For All.

Fun With ‘Water For All’

The three day program took the message of Water Conservation to approximately 4000 people. It was held at Dilli Haat on the 17th & 18th & at the UN Estate, Lodi Road on 22nd March 2012. The program at Dilii Haat was filled with several cultural performances, acts, community expressions on water, awards were given to local water & sanitation change makers & everyone took a pledge to help attain the vision of Water for All.

Host of activities ranging from street play by student groups, traditional Rajasthani performances, choreographed dance by local community groups gripped the audience for two days at Dilli Haat. Various crowd engagement activities on Water Footprint, Virtual Water & Water Conservation helped spread the message of Water for All.

Honble. Minister of Water Resources – Sh Pawan Kumar Bansal, the chief guest for the program was quoted saying “I congratulate FORCE for having organised this program that highlights Water issues to so many people in such an interesting way. Water must be equally available to all but we all need to make focussed efforts at all levels to make this possible. Policy, technology & citizen efforts– all are needed. As the pledge stated today, let us adopt the 5 R’s of Water Conservation & start with making our homes & city Water Wise & Secure”. The honble minister honoured citizen & community groups for their work in the areas of water conservation.

March 22nd saw more than 600 young torch-bearers of the city spreading the message of ‘Water for All’ as they walked a 3 kilometre stretch starting from United Nations Information Centre, Lodi Estate culminating at the India International Centre. The program witnessed performances by several school & college groups. Waving ‘Water for All’ flags & shouting slogans for Water Conservation, they attracted the attention of all passers by & offices in the institutional area.

On the occasion CEO-Delhi Jal Board, Sh Ramesh Negi said “Our policy is to cover all, despite the constraints. Unplanned growth & high population density in certain areas, pose a challenge in water supply, but DJB is already working to eradicate these problems. As residents, we all also need to make changes in our lifestyles so that we consume & waste less water.”

A Host of dignitaries from our partner organisations graced the three day event – Mr Ramesh Negi – CEO DJB, Ms Kiran Mehra Kerpelman, UNIC Director, Mr Ravi Singh, CEO WWF – India, Mr Lourdes Baptista, CEO, WaterAid India, Dr Aidan Cronin, WASH Specialist, UNICEF; Ms Sanjam Chima, Public Relation, DJB, Mr RK Srinivasan – Technical Advisor, Plan India & Ms Archana from Save the Children.

A truly inclusive program, the Walk For Water for All brought together government, civil society, rich, poor, old & young for this common cause. Reflecting FORCE’s P-4 Partnership philosophy, it raised collective consciousness about Water & our duty to SAVE WATER, SHARE WATER.

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T E C H N O L O G Y

Planning for rainwater harvesting in Indian cities requires preparation for the heavy silt load that is an integral part of our environment. The semi-arid condition in Delhi makes it necessary to have a dedicated resource person for maintenance of a conventional rainwater harvesting system.

Solutions for such region specific problems lie within the ambit of local people. All we need to do is re-look & build our right fit.

Problems with the conventional design are its maintenance requirements & the drastic fall in its efficiency after the first rainfall. Employing a dedicated resource person too is a difficulty on a community level. Another scope of improvement in the conventional design is its dependence on the rate of water absorption. This depends on the existing geological conditions & dimensions of the bore-well. Delhi often witnesses cloud-bursts & flash rains in its short monsoon stretch of barely 20 – 25 days. Efficient RWH for such condition means ensuring large storage space for water & not to depend extensively on instant ground percolation. A conventional structure is stuffed with layers of filter media which delays the rate of water absorption further and occupies utilizable volume.

Addressing all these key-issues FORCE has designed & implemented the low-maintenance based RWH system. Its prime focus is on de-silting water via shallow tanks placed in series with a removable base that can be lifted easily; thereby removing all the

accumulated silt. These shallow tanks are placed within a single large unit used for storing rainwater with a vertical filter mechanism. The vertical filter has a higher injection rate compared to the horizontal filter bed. It has a similar mechanism used within a vertical framework, that being said the first layer collects heavier particles & downgrades thereon. The final entry point is guarded by bio-synthetic jacket enabled with micro-pores for water movement.

The first of its kind system has been installed at Mahayama Stadium at Ghaziabad with an annual recharge capacity of 9 million gallons. Limiting the design within a single underground space & by employing pre-fabricated tanks the over-all cost of construction is reduced drastically.

For any further details about low maintenance based design: log on to www.force.org.in

Details Of ‘Easy Maintenance Rainwater Harvesting

As shown in the design, the rainwater harvesting structure will comprise of 4 main parts:

1) The Collection Chamber with Contaminant Bypass – As described above, collects run-off water & diverts it into the de-silting chamber.

2) The Silt Settlement Conduit – An oval conduit with mini silt traps to reduce the flow

speed and induce silt settlement.

3) Removable, Easy Clean, Silt Traps – Pre-fabricated, detachable and removable de-silting chambers. These have ‘Silt Holders’ that can be removed and cleaned without having to enter the structure.

4) Runoff Storage Chamber – A tank to collect the decanted, relatively clean water.

5) Easy Clean Filter Sleeve for Abandoned Tubewell – A Pre-fabricated filter sleeve with a 4 layer filter that can be fitted around the abandoned tube-well (after making perforations). This low maintenance filter allows silt to slide off it and hence remains efficient even after several rains. It can be easily cleaned by spraying water with a pressure hose from the surface.

The pure water will then enter the recharge well i.e the abandoned bore-well which will take this upto the level of the aquifer in the area.

Another low maintenance based system, ideal for roof-top RWH is Rainy Filter. Implemented at Adarsh Vidyalaya, Thane by FORCE as a part of the Support My school Campaign, the system has a storage capacity of 3000 litres. Water from the RWH system is stored and diverted to a UV filter and is utilized for drinking purpose in the school. It has proved to be efficient & requires very low maintenance.

The function of Rainy Filter is designed keeping in mind the facility of either one or multiple downspout outlets which can be utilized as per the requirement. The design is fabricated in tune with the hollow pipe leading into the filter inlet of the RWH Filter.

The rainwater filter is designed to accept dual intensity loads and separates the dirt particles & debris entering along with the rain water into the inlet through the hollow pipe based on the principle of cohesion and centrifugal force along with self cleaning mechanism.

Since the filter element assembly is an open ended system it allows for free flow. The vertically placed steel mesh does not allow the accumulation of debris inside the filter. As such the complete filter assembly has an inbuilt self cleaning mechanism whereby the water or any other solid particles do not stagnate inside the vertical filter since it has an open end leading into the drain.

The design, stability and filter efficiency is directly proportional to the intensity of rainfall. However, at any given point of time, the minimum efficiency of the filter ranges from 90 to 98%.

Rainy Filter

Low Maintenance Rainwater Harvesting

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Delhi has always enjoyed its wide sense of space, with several patches of manicured parks & gardens. With an elf like mali bhaiya – gardener operating in every such piece of greenery watering the lush green palm & the grass, keeping it from burning in the heat. The flowers sure look beautiful during spring, but have you ever wondered how Delhi manages the water for its green cover?

Though the actual water requirement for Delhi’s overall horticulture maintenance is quite low, nevertheless this is not generally the case. Most of Delhi’s parks employ groundwater, with a bare minimum that employ basic sprinkler system. For horticulture purposes there are several low water requirement based models yet they are hardly employed in Indian cities.

In Delhi there are about 15,000 parks & gardens covering about 5500 acres of land. Assuming each square meter mass of land consumes a minimum quarter litre of water daily for its green cover, the sum of net water consumption in all parks & gardens in Delhi amounts to 4 billion litres of water annually.

With the alarming rate of depleting ground water reserves in Delhi and based on the figures above; it is imperative to ensure that ground water is replaced with other form of water such as, rainwater, treated waste water, re-usable grey water etc to meet the horticulture needs of the city.

FORCE in association with Delhi Parks & Gardens Society & Resident

Welfare Associations of Delhi has developed two model projects addressing these issues. The Kitchen Waste Water Recycling Unit was first set up in Vasant Kunj, Sector B-11 & recently at Mandakini Enclave, Alaknanda.

The very name says it all – the project simply treats kitchen waste water, upto the horticulture requirements & provides a sustainable solution discouraging the unsustainable use of ground water in parks. The system does not require any electricity for treating water & with minimum maintenance it provides re-usable water which otherwise is normally wasted. Waste water from kitchens itself can be directly used for horticulture purposes. On a large scale level this requires basic treatment to get rid of the excess oil & other solid waste.

The project at Mandakini Enclave, Alaknanda goes a step-beyond and displaces the need of the elf-like mali bhaiya by means of simple electronic sensors that monitor the level of water in the treated tank & electronically switch on the sprinkler system when the tank is full.

Furthermore, Dr S.D. Singh, CEO, Delhi Parks & Gardens Society adds that ‘With easy to implement technology solutions like this, at a policy level Delhi can disband use of tube-wells for greening & conserve the depleting groundwater reserves.’

From grey water to green water!

T E C H N O L O G Y

Kitchen Waste Water Treatment

1. PREAMBLE OF NATIONAL WATER POLICY

Water is a natural resource, fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development. It is also a scarce resource. India has more than 17 % of the world’s population, but has only 4% of world’s renewable water resources with 2.6% of world’s land area. There are further limits on utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution over time and space. In addition, there are challenges of frequent floods and droughts in one or the other part of the country. With a growing population and rising needs of a fast developing nation as well as the given indications of the impact of climate change, availability of utilizable water will be under further strains in future with the possibility of deepening water conflicts among different user groups. Low public consciousness about the overall scarcity and economic value of water results in its wastage and inefficient use. In addition, there are iniquitous distribution and lack of a unified perspective in planning, management and use of water resources. The objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognizance of the existing situation and to propose a framework for creation of an overarching system of laws and institutions and for a plan of action with a unified national perspective.

Public policies on water resources need to be governed by certain basic principles, so that there is some commonality in approaches in dealing with planning, development and management of water resources. These basic principles are:

• Planning,developmentandmanagementofwaterresourcesneed to be governed by national perspectives on an integrated and environmentally sound basis, keeping in view the human, social and economic needs.

• Principleofequityandsocialjusticemustinformuseandallocation of water.

• Good governance through informed decision makingis crucial to the objectives of equity, social justice and sustainability.

• Water needs to be managed as a community resourceheld, by the state, under public trust doctrine to achieve food security, livelihood, and equitable and sustainable development for all.

• Access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitationshould be regarded as a right to life essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights. As such, water for such human needs should have a pre-emptive priority over all other uses.

• Water,overandabovethepre-emptiveneedforsafedrinkingwater and sanitation, should be treated as an economic good so as to promote its conservation and efficient use.

• Waterisessentialforsustenanceofeco-system,andtherefore,ecological needs should be given due consideration.

• Alltheelementsofthewatercycle,i.e.,evapo-transpiration,precipitation, runoff, river, lakes, soil moisture, & ground water, sea, etc., are interdependent and the basic hydrological

unit is the river basin, which should be considered as the basic unit for planning.

FORCE Views on the Draft National Water Policy

The Draft NWP seems to be a well thought out document. It recognizes Water as an environmental, social and economic asset and tries to give a holistic perspective to balance its multiple roles sustainably. It is interesting to see the document directly address difficult issues such as Easements Act, Water Usage in Agriculture, Pricing, diminishing role of government in service provision etc. It’s also interesting to see how it uses both punishment and incentives to ensure optimization of water use/reuse.

However, this may not necessarily guarantee its successful implementation. There are multiple reasons for this – the increasing scarcity of water, inelasticity in its usage in current usage scenarios, role of Water in Power Politics, the absence of scientific data acceptable to all stakeholders, the legal framework and the huge difficulty in making the transition from the current state of Water being everyone’s resource to Water being a State Resource.

Specifically with-respect-to the Right to Water for All, the Section related to Pricing (Water Tarrif) needs to be implemented in conjunction with the Section on protecting minimum water rights for all i.e ‘The Centre, the States and the local bodies (governance institutions) must ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health and hygiene to all its citizens, available within easy reach of the household’ and ‘After meeting the minimum quantity of water required for survival of human beings and ecosystem, water must be used as an economic good with higher priority towards basic livelihood support to the poor and ensuring national food security’

A cause for worry may be the Section on ‘The “Service Provider”, viz: role of the state has to be gradually shifted to that of a regulator of services and facilitator for strengthening the institutions responsible for planning, implementation and management of water resources. The water related services should be transferred to community and / or private sector with appropriate “Public Private Partnership” model.’ This has the potential to maximize efficiency in water use. However, given the poor data available with planners and abysmal track record of monitoring and control, this clause may benefit a few at the cost of badly hurting the poor and vulnerable sections of society

In this context, it is imperative that Civil Society join voices to demand that the Clause ‘The Centre, the States and the local bodies (governance institutions) must ensure access to a minimum quantity of potable water for essential health & hygiene to all its citizens, available within easy reach of the household’ be a legally enforceable right – over-riding all other regulations for Water and applicable to all Water Managers regardless of any pre-decided Monetary agreements – Government, Private, NGO or Community.

P O L I C Y

Draft National Water Policy (2012)

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Summary (Edited) of Views expressed by the online ‘Water Community’ managed by ‘Solutions Exchange’ initiative of UN agencies in India.

The Ministry of Water Resources has drafted the National Water Policy 2012 & it reflects current problems – water scarcity, climate change, groundwater depletion – and broadly indicates how the government to tackle these. The Policy has several paradigm shifts, and a more integrated approach to water resources planning. It suggests a more regulatory role for the State, rather than being a service provider; that is to be left to communities or the private sector.

In the preamble, the Policy attributes water scarcity in India to population growth. This has to be qualified – industry and municipalities use enormous amounts of water as pollution from these sources affects a much greater volume of water. Putting the blame on the increase in population shifts the burden onto the poor and marginalized who ‘have no regard for conserving natural resources’.

Significantly, the Policy gives pre-emptive priority to water for drinking and sanitation, and ‘ecological needs should be given due consideration’. The excess water is to be treated as an ‘economic good’. However, the Policy needs to quantify how much water should be set aside for these, and its quality. If these are not spelt out, there is a good chance that water may be considered an economic good than a social good.

The Policy should make lifeline water a fundamental right and include stipulations on its quality and quantity to be provided to all. There should be provisions holding the state accountable if it fails to provide this basic right, along with legal reforms for enforcement.

Water pricing

This is one of the most contentious parts of the Policy. The Policy is unclear for the reason for water pricing – whether to pay for utilities, encourage efficiency or make profits from water.

The Policy could include clauses on pricing irrigation water. It stresses water use efficiency but stops short of spelling out incentives (drip irrigation costs around Rs 1 lakh per hectare for horticulture). It mentions using tools like the Water Footprint. The discussion indicates efficiency can be best achieved through public education and awareness.

Governance

This is another paradigm shift of the draft Water Policy. It says the State will become a regulator rather than service provider. The Policy could instead change this paradigm shift to the need for more, better and decentralised governance, and re-affirm the role of the state as a service provider rather than handing water supply to communities or the private sector. This is because the right to water is a right to life and the State has a definite role to play.

The Policy recommends setting up state-level water regulatory authorities and fora to address water conflicts, as well as a water

disputes tribunal at the Centre. This is seen as a prelude to the entry of the private sector, as has happened in telecommunications and power. Conflicts on inter-state water sharing are meant to be handled by River Boards Act, but this has not been used effectively so far.

Water management

The planning, development and management of water resources need to be done in an integrated manner on an environmentally sound basis. The Policy should stipulate how this can be insulated from political, bureaucratic and commercial interests, and improve departmental efficiency, skills and strength.

The Policy could also suggest a true paradigm shift, i.e taking the river basin as the unit of management. Water management also needs to emphasize the principle of lowest subsidiarity – planning should start with the smallest unit, either the gram sabha or micro-watershed, and be federated upwards.

The Policy needs to reconcile the inter-relationships of the various propositions and their contradictions.

Groundwater

This is India’s lifeline, and the Policy’s preamble has to acknowledge its importance. It must recognise the ‘trade’ in groundwater, ensure its sustenance and intelligent, participatory management. The Policy could include measures to assess groundwater balance, impact of previous attempts at recharge and the link between a healthy aquifer and base flows in surface water systems.

The Policy recognizes one of the main hurdles in managing groundwater is it is seen as a private resource, and suggests amendments to the Easements Act 1882. This should be expedited to help in equitable distribution of this resource. An additional step could be dividing ownership of groundwater equally between an individual and the community.

Drinking water and sanitation

The Policy can include a road map to achieve the Right to Drinking Water and sanitation, and outline a national plan of action. As it mentions water for life is a non-negotiable, it could take this further by enhancing the entitlements to per capita domestic drinking water;

Climate change

The Policy should promote sustainable agricultural practices to increase the carbon content of soil, system of root intensification and organic farming. Coping strategies like flood forecasting, preparedness, flood regulation zones, riparian belts, mangrove protection, biological bank stabilization, could be included instead of infrastructure-heavy measures like building embankments and dams. While a national policy is a good idea, it needs to include pointers, guidelines, etc., applicable in different eco-agro-climatic zones.

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Here is an example of what an inadequate water and sewage system can lead to. In water samples picked up from 20 slums in southwest and west Delhi, high levels of e-coli contamination have been detected in most ground water samples. Most of these slum dwellers depend on either illegal Delhi Jal Board (DJB) connections or tubewells.

The study on ‘Available Drinking Water Quality for Urban Poor’ was conducted as a part of the WaterAid – FORCE ‘Swatch Delhi Swasth Delhi’ project. FORCE has helped formulate women’s self-help groups in approximately twenty unauthorised slum colonies in Delhi, with a focus on improving the existing water & sanitation conditions in these clusters. The empowered ‘Naari Nirmal Awaas Samiti’ recently conducted water quality testing for their respective water sources in urban poor establishments.

Nahida, a middle aged woman living in west Delhi’s Darbhanga slum, waves a bottle of water in which orange particles of some unknown origin can clearly be seen floating around. “This is the water that was supplied in the slum two days back through the DJB pipeline. We had to let the water sit for a while so that the sediments settled down and then boil the water before drinking it. We have a tubewell too but the water is so filthy that we use it only for washing,” she says.

The DJB supply in this slum, as in several others, is totally illegal since none of them receive bills. Due to very low pressure, there are no taps anywhere but the pipeline opens up into a cemented pit. More often

than not, the pits are lined with garbage and are cleaned out each day before the water supply starts.

“Since the government supply is illegal, there are several tappings in the line that allow pollutants to enter the system. In places where the lines were intact, DJB’s water was e-coli free. The main problem seems to stem from borewells since the groundwater is infected with pathogens,” says Jyoti Sharma, convener of FORCE.

The study reveals that of the 62 samples picked up, 72% of groundwater samples were found to be contaminated with e-coli. Eight slums were completely dependent on tubewells. In slums where in the absence of toilets open defecation was taking place, 70% borewell samples were infected with e-coli while in those slums next to nallahs, e-coli contamination was present in all samples. Total dissolved solids, a maximum of 500 ppm of which is prescribed, were found in at least one borewell sample in all slums with a sample from Rakhi Market recording a massive 1670 ppm.

This is a government failure where they are not able to provide basic infrastructure to slum dwellers at one level and turn a blind eye to illegal borings and tappings as it saves them the effort of putting in infrastructure. With DJB opening up its management to public private partnership, will it account for the thousands of these unseen users? In many slums toilets open directly into nallahs, septic tanks are overflowing, there are no toilets in several places and municipal solid waste finds its way into nallahs. There are 22 drains that are crisscrossing the city and contaminating groundwater. The government needs to focus on these as well along with the cleaning of the Yamuna.

DJB officials say that unplanned development of Delhi has left it with no option but to handle supply in this manner. “We would ideally like to lay pipes in several areas, including unauthorised and regularised colonies but the city has developed in such a haphazard way that this is impossible. Also, the population is way more than we are prepared to cater to. These problems are bound to appear in such a situation,” said a senior official.

With the trend in the government towards a regulatory mode; with increased outsourcing and focus on efficiency & reducing un-accountability for water – it is important to make sure that these unseen millions are ‘planned for’. Access to safe water is a right – which cannot be subverted because of the legality of the tenement in which one is living.

P E O P L E F O R P O L I C Y

Dont The Poor Deserve Safe Water

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Water Wise Greening in Mandakini EnclaveHarsh Singh

Mandakini Enclave was experiencing depleted groundwater level in their 29 Acres stretch which manifested in the form of drying tube wells & precariously falling ground water reserved. The only source of potable water was the Delhi Jal Board water line that supplied water for barely an hour per day. In retrospect the residents were forced to depend on tanker services to full-fill their daily water requirements. To counter the problem of water scarcity that threatened their future water requirements Mandakini Enclave Residents Welfare Association (MERWA) approached CGWB to recommend ways to recharge the water level.

Holding to their recommendation, MERWA approached FORCE in 2007 & implemented RWH at the colony & have dedicatedly maintained it since. They also received the Chief Minister Best Harvester Award.

MERWA went further by approaching Delhi Parks & Garden Society along with FORCE for ‘Water Wise Greening’ project. While being a pilot project, it treats kitchen waste water & re-uses it to meet the horticulture requirements of community gardens. It also helps conserve fresh

water, naturally recharges GW, retains soil fertility & most importantly reclaims waste water as an utilizable resource. By means of this project, potable GW that was earlier used in parks is substituted by waste water.

Furthermore Shubh Sharda Fr. President of MERWA said “I feel extremely happy with the success of both the projects & am sure that the future of Mandakini Enclave is bright. I would like to thank FORCE & Mrs. Jyoti Sharma for her support without which all this was have been possible.”

Kamran Zaidi Vice President of MERWA added that “Had it not been for RWH & Kitchen Waste Water Recycling, the idea of ‘Green’ Mandakini Enclave could not have been possible. He feels that all the colonies, whether in Delhi or anywhere across India should take a leaf out of our book & give a head start towards the efforts of conserving natural resources.”

Tanki TroopersThe next time you find your water tank overflowing, you might consider refitting those ball plugs or electronic sensors immediately. Or you might just find a tiny trooper ringing your doorbell with a warning certificate!

‘Tanki Troopers’ as the name suggests is a vigilant troop inspecting local overflowing water tanks & requesting residents to prevent it. And what makes them effective? Well Tanki Troopers are basically a group of teenage kids who are conscious about our natural resources & committed to conserving them. These young guns are armed with perfect smiles & a hopeful cheer.

This group from Vasant Kunj (VK) B-1, noticed patterns in overflowing tanks every morning as they walked to their school bus stops & during the summer break decided to tackle the recurring offenders.

Strike 1: They ring your doorbell & tell you that your tank is overflowing. They share all possible solutions to ensure this does not happen again.

Strike 2: They politely issue a Reminder Certificate! Strike 3: They approach the local Welfare Association & share your tank status. The welfare association issues a Warning Certificate.

“The residents would shut their doors in our face & sometimes even let their dogs chase us out”, says one of the lead troopers Vaishnavi Varadarajan. To spread the message of ‘Water Conservation’ they recruited more young troopers from neighbouring blocks of VK & performed a street play at different hours at different blocks & lanes within the colony.

On basis of the RWA’s recommendation, Delhi Jal Board can tax resident’s up-to a fine of Rs 2000/- if their tanks are found overflowing. DJB tank magistrates are authorised to make surprise checks in localities & can issue fines payable at the local courts.

Tanki Troopers with the Hon’ble Minister of Water Resources

Mandakini RWA with DJB CEO Sh. Ramesh Negi

To find out about your Water Personality Profile, simply follow the instructions below:

• Lookatthepicturesfor30seconds• Thinkof5to7wordstoexpresstheemotions/

feelings it brings out in you• Classifyeachwordaccordingtothecategories

below• Countthenumberofwordsineachcategory• Pickoutthetwohighestscoringcategoriesto

know your Water Profile

Powerful HappyDeep PeacefulNegative / fearful Materialistic / superficial

Water ProfileCreative Water Personality Classification

W A T E R - T H E G U R U

Your Water Profile – Dashing Mountain stream Powerful and Happy

You have a charm that can inspire people to give their best a cause you stand for. You prefer to use your personal power for the benefit of all rather than for destruction or purely selfish gain. If the world was filled with more people like you, it would certainly be a better place to live in!

Your Water Mantra - In flowing along with life, lies your happiness & when the soul is happy - it is powerful.

Your Water Profile – Deep Blue Sea Powerful & Deep

You possess an analytical mind that can see through not only visible expressions but also the hidden meanings. You think deeply about situations and only after analyzing it, do you implement anything.

You must learn the lesson of Water - Your Power lies in flowing - stagnation is the end of creation.

Your Water Profile – Deep Meandering River Powerful & Peaceful

At one level you are in constant conflict with yourself - you see the enormous potential for growth that the world offers but at the same time shy away from aggressive pursuit of power because of your innate quietness of spirit. Try to use all your energy for a good cause.

Water remedy - Meditate on water. Reflect on the deep, powerful, soothing, everchanging sounds of water. Let the sounds wash over you, heal you.

Your Water Profile – Dancing Whirlpool Happy & Deep

Being an intuitive person creates a pleasant environment for people to confide in you. You have a child like acceptance of destiny. That is why you are destiny’s favourite child. You are liked by those who you share your true self with. Your depth of understanding makes you a calm, accepting, non-critical person.

Water saying for you – ‘adhjal gagri chalkat jaaye’

Your Water Profile - Sweet Water Harbour Happy & Peaceful

You are a type of person who gained serenity and overcame a lot of obstacles to gain this peaceful mind. Simple pleasures, good relationships, well balanced life is what you desire. You like solitude and time to just be with yourself.

Water mantra – It is neither necessary to break the flow of life because of an obstacle. Nor to break the block. Wisdom often lies in simply finding a new path around an obstacle.

Your Water Profile - Salt Water Lagoon Deep & Peaceful

Philosophy, dreams and romance comes easy for you. You find beauty in deep conversations. People are drawn to you by your inner charm and the power of your personality. You are a rare, self actualised individual yet not often appreciated by society.

Water wisdom – Depth makes you peaceful and nurturing. Life originated in the deep oceans where the waves are smallest.

Your Water Profile – Grey Water Negative & Materialistic

Simplicity is within your nature. You focus on what is visible and apparent, rather than analysing too much to search for hidden meanings. Having lots of possessions, high social status and public approval is very important for you.

Learn the lesson of Water – Superficial change is transitory, all that is bad now will become good soon and all that looks great now will disappear soon.

Your Water Profile – Swimming Pool Happy & Materialistic

Your focus is mainly on what is visible and apparent, rather than analysing too much to search for hidden meanings. If you had enough money you would like to buy and show off the latest designs, gadgets and products. You are bright, happy and confident person.

Water Wisdom – Water is as happy in a jug as it is flowing free in a stream. But also notice – it changes its external shape but never its core.


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Why?

Cities consume 75 % of the Earth’s natural resources while occupying just 2 % of the planet’s terrestrial surface. And in an astonishingly short period, we’ve become a world of city dwellers: in 1950, a third of the world’s population lived in cities; by 2000, the proportion had grown to half; and by 2008 the majority of us had become urban citizens. This trend is projected to continue: two-thirds, or 6 billion people, will be living in cities by 2050. (TUNZA Volume 9 – The Green Economy, United Nations Environment Programme)

In terms for Water – as an urban infrastructure expands it creates a zone of water scarcity around it. To support the internal water needs cities import water from periphery sources – with raise in demand this distance of water source goes on increasing. For instance Delhi’s water requirements which in the early days were met by the river Yamuna; is now sourcing water from distant water sources – as far as 300 kms, via the Tehri Dam an embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India.

Background about the Campaign

And so, it is critical that urban centres start planning for water self-sufficiency & sustainability. According to current figures Delhi has a water requirement of 990 MGD & receives about 735 MGD, leading to a deficit of 26 %. This deficit is met by abusing the precariously falling ground water reserves.

BLUE CITY Campaign built on the premise of availability based planning rather than the current demand based planning aims at sustainability and self-sufficiency in urban water management to control the current unsustainable development. A feasibility study for execution of the campaign ideologies has been conducted for four prime cities, viz: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore & Jaipur & the first phase of the campaign solely focuses on Delhi.

BLUE DELHI Campaign aims at sustainability planning from every micro level to macro/city level by ensuring wise utilization of water. Not known for its monsoon, Delhi receives close to 907 billion litres during monsoons & due to a combination of poor planning & population

stress this water is not viewed as a resource but a traffic menace. River Yamuna which is oblivious in the minds of the young Delhi also receives an additional 200 billion litres of floodwater during monsoon, most of which goes unutilized. Delhi generates 693 billion litres of waste water annually which after passing through inadequate treatment plants ends up in the river.

The campaign aims to create a shift in paradigm thinking from demand based management to availability based management. Creating or in some cases re-imprinting the cities available water resources as utilizable water reserves. Grading of water & ensuring simple tips facilitating conjunctive use of water via reclaiming grey water reserves at micro / community level.

BLUE DELHI Campaign – A flagship Campaign

Launched by the Fr. Minister of Water Resources – Sh Salmaan Khursheed at the Walk for Water, 2011; the campaign is moving steadily towards its goals. Built on a five year framework the campaign reaches out to citizens of Delhi cutting across age, income & other social barriers.

The multi-stakeholder campaign is guided by its Strategic Planning Panel comprising of leading civil society representatives & chaired by the Delhi Jal Board CEO – Sh Ramesh Negi. The campaign comprises of five diverse task forces –

• GroundWaterTaskForce• Lakes&WaterBodiesTaskForce• YamunaTaskForce• WaterManagementTaskForce• AwarenessTaskForce

each dedicated on creating sustainability & self-sufficiency in respective water usage.

2011 Update

Honble. Minister of Water Resources – Sh Pawan Kumar Bansal agreed to be the Conscious Keeper for the campaign.

In partnership with Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation of India,

C O M M U N I T Y P A G E - ( W W D S P E C I A L )

Blue Delhi Campaign

Aiming for sustainability & self-sufficiency in Delhi Water Management

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FORCE is working on creating urban lake revival & restoration models using a mix of waste water reclamation & rainwater harvesting.

With guidance & support from Delhi Jal Board the campaign is working on mapping & listing all available natural water resources of Delhi on a internet based GIS platform. Once launched, this will help connect concerned citizens across city to share ideas, view on-ground-work, monitor progress, simply by logging on the GIS platform.

To reach out to the citizens of Delhi, in association with the Ministry of Water resources FORCE is organizing independent resident activation program across the city. A day long exercise comprises of highlighting the campaign objectives & aligning people support to implement those at micro level.

Adding to the log of Water Harvesting, FORCE in association with HSBC Bank is formulating Rainwater Harvesting plans using abandoned bore-wells in 50 locations within South & South West District of Delhi.

Keeping with the core-philosophy of the campaign: to ensure Water for All, FORCE in association with WaterAid dedicated on improving the water & sanitation condition of the poor are finalizing urban poor skill building workshops in the areas of water management. These include training programs on rainwater harvesting, water treatment, plumbing. This exercise will be supported by Delhi Jal Board to help connect resource people with relevant requirements.

Campaign & You

The goals & objectives of the campaign can only be achieved with a unity consciousness, bridging government authorities, civil society groups, pvt. firms, corporations & citizens of Delhi. It is important that you be a part of this. For more information about the campaign visit: www.force.org.in or follow us on facebook: www.facebook.com/forcengo

Over the coming decades, feeding a growing global population and ensuring food and nutrition security for all will depend on increasing food production. This, in turn, means ensuring the sustainable use of our most critical finite resource – water.

The theme of this year’s World Water Day is water and food security. Agriculture is by far the main user of freshwater. Unless we increase our capacity to use water wisely in agriculture, we will fail to end hunger and we will open the door to a range of other ills, including drought, famine and political instability.

In many parts of the world, water scarcity is increasing and rates of growth in agricultural production have been slowing. At the same time, climate change is exacerbating risk and unpredictability for farmers, especially for poor farmers in low-income countries who are the most vulnerable and the least able to adapt.

These interlinked challenges are increasing competition between communities and countries for scarce water resources, aggravating old security dilemmas, creating new ones and hampering the achievement of the fundamental human rights to food, water and sanitation. With nearly 1 billion people hungry and some 800 million still lacking a safe supply of freshwater, there is much we must do to strengthen the foundations of local, national, and global stability.

Guaranteeing sustainable food and water security for all will require the full engagement of all sectors and actors. It will entail transferring appropriate water technologies, empowering small food producers and conserving essential ecosystem services. It will require policies that promote water rights for all, stronger regulatory capacity and gender equality. Investments in water infrastructure, rural development and water resource management will be essential.

We should all be encouraged by the renewed political interest in food security, as evidenced by the high priority given to this issue by the agendas of the G8 and G20, the emphasis on the nexus of food, water and energy in the report of my Global Sustainability Panel, and the growing number of countries pledging to Scale Up Nutrition.

On this World Water Day, I urge all partners to fully use the opportunity provided by the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. In Rio, we need to connect the dots between water security and food and nutrition security in the context of a green economy. Water will play a central role in creating the future we want.

“Let us pledge today to translate our reverence for water into practical measures to preserve it. Let us ensure that we integrate sustainable water management into our daily lives.”

— Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, Director UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan

Message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonOn World Water Day 2012

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Walk for Water – for All 2012Carrying forward the last year’s call to develop into a ‘Water Secure’ nation & to celebrate World Water Day 2012, FORCE in association with reputed partner organizations such as DJB, WWF India, WaterAid India, UNICEF, United Nations Information Centre, Save the Children, Dpt. of Env., CASP-PLAN, CGWB, AFPRO organized the ‘Walk for Water’ at Dilli Haat on the 17th & 18th & at the UN Estate, Lodi Road on the 22nd March. Aligned with the ‘World Walks for Water’ movement the three days program aimed at raising awareness about the world’s depleting fresh water resources. The chief guest for the program Honble Minister of Water Resources – Sh Pawan Kumar Bansal led the pledge for ‘Water for All’ urging citizens to take responsibility & help conserve water.

Rainwater Harvesting FORCE has extensively worked in the area of urban RWH & has developed more than 250 RWH units adding upto approx 70 million gallons of annual ground water recharge.

Spreading the importance of RWH beyond developed urban cities, FORCE in association with Hindustan Coca-Cola Pvt. Ltd. inaugurated a RWH system at Rama Jain Girls PG College, Najibabad situated in the corner of Bijjnour district in Uttar Pradesh. The system has an annual recharge capacity of ninety lakh liters. On 15th February FORCE organized an inaugural program to raise awareness about RWH & means of re-using harvested water.

To overcome the extensive maintenance requirement of conventional RWH structures FORCE has created a one-of-its-kind low maintenance requirement based RWH system at Mahamaya Stadium, Ghaziabad, in association with HCCBPL. With an annual ground recharge capacity of thirty five lakh litres, the system primarily ensures effectively trapping silt by employing a series of settling chambers.

Urban Lake RestorationDelhi with its semi-arid condition & raising annual mean temperature still offers numerous natural reservoirs for water that can be developed into urban water bodies. As per the Delhi High Court ruling these reservoirs for water – once a home for the monsoon flow are to be protected as water bodies, 629 such lakes to be precise have benefitted with this judgement.

However, due to unplanned development & population stress the channels for water that once fed these lakes & ponds have been blocked, constructed upon, chocked leading to water stagnation in city.

To bridge the gap FORCE has been advocating measures aiming to help both; revitalize urban water bodies & take care of water logging. In association with Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation Limited, FORCE is working on restoring two lakes in Delhi, in Rangpuri Pahadi & Neb Sarai. Work has started in both the locations with support of local residents & the revenue department.

Inauguration Water Point - Shivanand & Dalit Ekta Camp Slum settlements in Delhi do not necessarily have access to safe water

& this adversely affects the overall community. One of the key elements of the WaterAid – FORCE ‘Swatch Delhi Swasth Delhi’ project is to improve the access to safe drinking water in urban poor communities.

Recently FORCE has developed two new models to cater to local water requirements:

Dalit Ekta Camp – This 20 year old settlement relied completely on tanker service for their water requirements. Facing Sector C-8 Vasant Kunj, there was a daily war for water when the tanker arrived at the settlements. Led by local groups themselves the community has developed a new-model for water distribution.

Within 9 months; the community collected money from each house-hold & FORCE covered the overhead to lay dual pipelines within the cluster & to construct an underground storage tank to store water from the tanker.

Shivanand basti – The community earlier relied on inter-connected tank system supplied by tanker service, however due to irregularity in the tanker service, required a more sustainable water source. Like in case of Dalit Ekta Camp, FORCE assisted the community to get requisite permissions for a bore-well & helped them to connect it to their water system.

Village Adoption Program – BegaAs a part of the IFCI Ltd, Village Adoption Program, FORCE in association with HARDICON Ltd is working on improving the water & sanitation condition at Bega Village, Gannaur, District Sonipat. In the first phase of the project, focus was given to the prevailing WATSAN condition at Govt. Higher Secondary School, Bega. To improve the drinking water condition at the school, FORCE has re-developed two existing water points at the school and constructed a new drinking water source. Also a water filter system has been installed that supplies clean water to all the water points in the school. FORCE also conducted an awareness program for children. The fun filled program had a Magic Show, a Village Mapping exercise and a training on Water Quality testing.

Water Quality Testing As a part of a WaterAid - Swatch Delhi Swasth Delhi project, the Naari Nirmal Awaas Samitis of 20 slums in Delhi were given kits to test Quality of water sources of their area for pH, TDS, Fluoride and E-coli. The sources tested included pipeline supply from DJB sources, tankers supplied by DJB, tubewells and handpumps.

The results showed 85% of slums as highly or totally dependent on groundwater. E-Coli – the bacterium that causes gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and neonatal meningitis - was present in atleast 1 or more sample in 18 slums. In slums with nullahs E-Coli was found in 100% groundwater samples near the nullah. TDS was higher than 500ppm in 72% of all borewell samples and pH levels too were high in 5 samples. This shows that groundwater contamination is high and that poor waste disposal systems not only impact health directly but also through contamination of drinking water.

FORCE NEWS

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Forum For Organised Resource Conservation and Enhancement

C-8/8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110070, India, Ph: 91 11 46018754, Telefax: 91 11 26893502, Email: [email protected], Web: www.force.org.in

(Recipient of National Urban Water Award 2009)

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.

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