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Rainwater harvesting manual released in Nairobi, Kenya


Nairobi's deputy mayor, Charles Kiyo Muratha, released the publication 'A rainwater harvesting manual for Nairobi' at a meeting held at National Museum of Kenya, on December 7, 2004. A model rainwater harvesting project was also inaugurated at the venue on the same day, followed by a seminar.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has published the manual in collaboration with RELMA (Regional Land Management Unit) in ICRAF (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry), Nairobi. It is a compilation of simple rainwater harvesting techniques suitable for urban areas and also has case studies of successful initiatives from Nairobi, New Delhi and Bombay.

Manual release function at Nairobi
Charles Kiyo Muratha, Deputy Mayor Nairobi (centre), and CSE's Sumita Dasgupta (left) at the release function

Speaking on the occasion, Sumita Dasgupta, Coordinator, Jal Swaraj Campaign, CSE, spoke about the universality of water scarcity in urban areas. She said that although Nairobi gets over 900 mm rainfall over nine month every year; the city faces acute water shortage. Most of the city's water supply sources are over 150 kilometres away. Dasgupta admitted that the situation is no better in most Indian cities. "But we have learnt how to manage the resources and make use of the precious gift - rain," she said. The manual, she added, is a guide to rainwater harvesting practices that can be implemented easily.

Deputy mayor Muratha said: "Water is becoming increasingly scarce in Nairobi. We need to take steps to popularise rainwater harvesting to conserve this precious resource." He said that the government has pledged to create a specific body to support this movement. He exhorted the people of Nairobi to adopt rainwater harvesting to ease the stress on the municipal supply and to ensure year-round availability of safe water.

Bashir Zaman, Deputy Director General, ICRAF, stressed upon the urgency of preserving the catchments for Nairobi's water supply system. He said that the catchments are quite far from the city and are being threatened by rapid erosion, deforestation and pollution. He suggested that a plantation drive be undertaken to reduce soil erosion and increasing the natural infiltration in the catchments.

Addressing the large gathering, comprising engineers, architects, planners, and representatives from NGOs, educational institutions, government officials, researchers, journalists, and interested citizens of Nairobi, Miambo Malesu, Regional Coordinator, RELMA, emphasised the need for long-term collaboration with NGOs like CSE, which have done pioneering work in the field of rainwater harvesting. He urged those present to "water on the seed" by taking active interest in the model rainwater harvesting project at the National Museum of Kenya.


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Model rainwater harvesting project at National Museum of Kenya


A model rainwater harvesting project got underway at the biodiversity block of National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, on December 7, 2004.

Centre For Science And Environment (CSE) and Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA), Nairobi, have jointly set up the project as part of an effort to spearhead a rainwater harvesting movement in Kenya. Charles Kiyo Muratha, Deputy Mayor of Nairobi, inaugurated the project.
National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi was selected because it:

  • gets a large number of visitors everyday
  • is easily accessible
  • had some of the required infrastructure
Experts from CSE along with National museums of Kenya jointly inspected the site and targeted the Biodiversity block as a model site for the project. Salahuddin Saiphy, a CSE expert on rainwater harvesting, designed the system. It was quite challenging to complete the construction work with a short period. In order to achieve the target John Mbugua, a Nakuru based contractor worked very hard with his team and Saiphy supervised the implementation.

The basic objectives of the model project are:
  • To act as a catalyst in spreading water literacy
  • To reinstate and reaffirm the potential of rainwater harvesting
  • To provide concrete evidence to citizens to indicate potential of rainwater harvesting'
  • To stabilise the imbalance between water supply and its demand
The rainwater harvesting system was designed keeping in view the large section of the society. The system not only collects rainwater for non-potable purposes like cleaning, washing, gardening and use in toilets but also for drinking purposes from KWS Strong room's rooftop covered with galvanised iron sheets. The concept of recharge well was also being introduced for groundwater recharge for the first time in eastern Africa.

The rainwater harvesting system includes:
  • A ferro-cement tank of 20,000 litre capacity - for non potable purpose
  • A recharge well - for groundwater recharge
  • A PVC tank of 3500 litre capacity - for drinking purpose
Manual release function at Nairobi
CSE's Salahuddin Saiphy explaining the working of a rainwater system

Construction work at the site also attracted a lot of visitors to the museum and got briefing from the CSE expert about the project and its objective. The ferro-cement tank was selected for storage because of its low cost and simple technology. A ferro-cement tank can be easily constructed by a mason and later maintained by the community. The tank is located on the eastern corner of the building. The site selection for the tank was done very carefully so that the gravity head can be used to supply water to the toilets located downstream. The overflow from the tank and rooftop water from a small portion of the building is recharged into the ground with the help of a recharge well located next to the tank. The recharge well is 1.5 m x 1.5 m x 2 m and provided with a recharge bore 100 mm diameter and 10 m depth. A PVC tank is also used to collect rainwater from the rooftop having galvanised iron (GI) sheet, as rainwater collected from the sheets is considered fit for drinking. A Nairobi-based PVC tank manufacturer, Kantainers, donated the tank. Its objective was to create a model for small household, which can store rainwater in tanks and use it during the dry spell for drinking and cooking requirements.

The site was visited by a number of people including deputy mayor, deputy DG, ICRAF, Principal, University of Nairobi, representatives from various NGO, engineers, students and individuals. Explaining the working of the system, Saiphy said that the storage in ferro-cement tank is very cost effective and involves very simple technology that can be implemented by a mason. "We have used locally available material and manpower," said Saiphy. It was highly appreciated by visitors and recharge well was of much interest for them as it was a new technique introduced for the first time in Nairobi

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Seminar on Rainwater Harvesting

A seminar on rainwater harvesting was also organised as part of the event comprising the release of a manual and the inauguration of a model rainwater harvesting project in the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi.

A large largely number engineers, university students, and interested individuals attended it. Orodi Odhiambo, lecturer, Department of Environment and Biosystems Engineering, University of Nairobi, spoke on potential of rainwater harvesting in Nairobi. He said that if done on large scale, it can solve the water problems of the city. William Wambugu, manager, Botanical gardens, National Museums of Kenya also shared his experiences.

Salahuddin Saiphy, a rainwater harvesting expert from CSE, made an audio-visual presentation during the seminar. He said that the purpose of rainwater harvesting is not merely to store rainwater for direct use, but also to recharge groundwater.

Ground water recharge is an effective tool to arrest the sharply declining water table in the area. He also shared the experiences of rigorous monitoring of CSE"s rainwater harvesting projects in Delhi and confirmed that most of the projects have experienced a remarkable rise in water table after rainwater harvesting or check the sharply declining water levels. He elaborated the concept and principles of rainwater harvesting focusing both on storage as well as groundwater recharge. He also unveiled the success stories from Mumbai and Delhi highlighting the issues related to implementation, maintenance and monitoring.

The seminar ended with a lively discussion. The number and variety of the questions posed by the participants revealed their interest and curiosity. Majority of the queries were related to the water quality, campaign and CSE's impact on policy makers. There were few questions regarding groundwater recharge technique also as it was a new concept and being introduced for the first time in Nairobi. Salahuddin Saiphy and Sumita Dasgupta jointly answered the questions.

Manual release function at Nairobi
Salahuddin Saiphy making an audio visual presentation during the seminar

Lecture on Rainwater Harvesting- Experiences from India at University of Nairobi

On the invitation from University of Nairobi, on December 8th 2004, Salahuddin Saiphy from Centre for Science and Environment delivered a lecture at University of Nairobi. The lecture was focused on principles and techniques of rainwater harvesting with case studies from India.

The university officials present in the seminar during the Rainwater Harvesting Manual release function at National Museums of Kenya were so influenced by CSE staff's presentation that the representatives of the Department of Environment and Biosystems Engineering met him personally and invited to deliver a lecture for its faculties and students. Salahuddin Saiphy of JalSwaraj Camapign, CSE spoke at a length about the concept, principles and different techniques of rainwater harvesting. He nicely used the model rainwater harvesting projects in Delhi to detail the different techniques of RWH. He also unveiled the results of CSE monitoring in model projects to confirm the potential of rainwater harvesting. He also screened the 90 seconds public service advertisement on rainwater harvesting produced by CSE to sensitise the participants. Cheering faces of the participants validated that they really enjoyed it. Many of the participants requested for a copy of the presentation and film and looking at the interest a copy was given so that it can be used for imparting knowledge to the peoples who could not attend the workshop.

Poster exhibition on techniques of Rainwater Harvesting at Nairobi

Manual release function at Nairobi
Poster exhibition on techniques of Rainwater Harvesting at Nairobi

On the occasion of launch of Rainwater Harvesting Manual for Nairobi and model project site inauguration at National museums of Kenya, CSE put its poster exhibition on water. The exhibition was a collage of nice posters depicting traditional rainwater harvesting practices, principle and concept of RWH. The exhibition also covered the CSE's model RWH projects and results of monitoring. Maiambo Malesu, Regiaonal Coordinator RELMA appreciated CSE's poster exhibition and said" it is a very rich and colourful exhibition which not only attracts visitors but also clearly teaches RWH. A group of Nairobi University students also requested for the copy of all the posters to be used in their environment festival.

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Large turnout at workshop on wastewater management

A two-day workshop on Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) held in New Delhi on November 5 and 6, 2004 drew an enthusiastic response from various quarters.

A large number of architects, engineers, representatives of local NGOs, officials from government agencies like INTCAH, CGWB, DJB, HUDCO, DDA and institutions like SPA, IIT Delhi as well as industries were among the participants.

The event, which was held at Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi, was jointly organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Pondicherry-based NGO, Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR). The workshop was sponsored by European Union, Borda - Dewats Indian projects.

In his keynote address, Sunita Narain, director, CSE, highlighted the need for decentralised wastewater management instead of centralised treatment systems. She highlighted how Delhi, in spite of having maximum number of treatment plants, could not clean up the Yamuna. The CSE director also released a film on DEWATS produced by CSR. The film explains how the DEWATS system works with the help of animations and case studies.

After the inauguration function, Pedro Kraemer, coordinator, FEDINA - BORDA spoke about their campaigns to spread the concept of decentralised wastewater management systems. Kraemer said that out of 2,902 big and small cities in India, 93 per cent of do not have sewage treatment plants. And the plants in the few cities that have them are not up to the mark.

In the technical session, Tency Beatens from CSR shared his experience on wastewater management in Auroville. He said that a lot of effort had gone in making the plants effective so that they can fit in the urban scenario.

A technical presentation on Total Water Management then followed. Lata Raman from Inspiration, a Kerala-based NGO, conducted the session. Raman explained how they had incorporated rainwater harvesting and wastewater management using DEWATS through case studies from Kerala and Maharashtra.

Thereafter, Durga Venkateswami and Kiran Vaghela from Hunna Shaala, a Gujarat-based NGO, gave a joint presentation. They explained how DEWATS can be used for treating wastewater at community level through proper planning.

The highlight of the first day's presentation was Dr Lucas Dengal's speech, in which he spoke about a different technology, Effective Microorganisms. He explained how the microorganisms derived from molasses could be utilised for treating wastewater.

The second day of the workshop began with a presentation by Pedro Kraemer, in his presentation he explained in detail to the architects and engineer how to design a decentralised wastewater treatment system. He explained about various designing parameters, components and its implementation methodology and monitoring aspects.

After this presentation, the participants were divided into groups. The groups were given basic inputs about CSE's new building and were asked to come up with a wastewater treatment plant design. This was a challenging job for the participants since the space available to install the system was very limited. But the groups presented their ideas and designs, which clearly showed that they had got the basics right.

 

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Free training programme on
Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS)
for architects, engineers and professionals


A two-day training programme on decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) is being organised in Delhi by the Auroville Centre for Scientific Research, Borda, India Project and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi.

Programme schedule

Date:
November 5-6, 2004, from 9:30 am to
5 pm
Venue: Core 6-A, 4th Floor India Habitat Center, New Delhi - 110003
Contact: Mr R. K. Srinivasan
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi - 110062
E-mail: rksri@cseindia.org
T
el: +91 (011) 29955124; 29956110, 29956394, 29956399 (Ext. 219)
Fax: +91 (011) 29955879

The programme aims to promote awareness and encourage wider implementation of the technology, and will be held from November 5-6, 2004 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Decentralised wastewater treatment technology has caught up in the Western world as a viable and cost-effective technique. India too is looking at this technology to combat the growing menace of water pollution.

Today, several national and international agencies are promoting decentralised wastewater treatment technology, due to its advantages over the conventional centralised sewage collection and treatment systems. The advantages include lower cost of sewage collection and maintenance of sewerage systems, cost-effective treatment technology, easy management of the wastewater due to its lesser volume, utilisation of recycled sewage, involvement of developers, builders and users in wastewater treatment and management.

DEWATS are able to treat domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater with similar characteristics as domestic sewage up to 1000 cubic metres per day.
On the first day, participants will be introduced to DEWATS technologies. On the second day, they will be expose to the designing aspects of DEWATS. The concepts will be explained with the help of numerous examples.

The training programme is meant for architects, engineers and practising professionals who are interested in the implementation of decentralised wastewater treatment systems.

The training is entirely free. But only those participants who have attended the first day will be allowed to attend the second day of the programme.

Those interested can apply before October 31, 2004.

Organised by
Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR)
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi
Sulabh International Institute of Technical Research and Training

Sponsored by
Borda—Dewats India Project, Bangalore, Karnataka
Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA), Germany
European Union (EU)
Council of Architects, New Delhi

More about the sponsors

Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA), Germany
Borda's areas of work comprise measures in international development cooperation, in integrated environmental protection and the promotion of environmentally compatible technologies. BORDA cooperates with scientific and development organizations and individuals at home and abroad.

The DEWATS India Project is a private cooperation between German and Indian NGO's financially supported by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ).

The aim of the project is to support small- and medium-sized enterprises, institutions and communities in planning, designing and constructing effective, reliable, cost-efficient and custom-made wastewater treatment systems.

Auroville Centre for Scientific Research (CSR)
CSR has focused since 1984 on applied research in the area of renewable energies, appropriate building technologies and water and sanitation.

The effort of treating wastewater through decentralised natural methods is part of an integral program to ensure a sustainable water management policy for Auroville. During a 20-year period, pilot systems were built, practical experience was gathered and the operating skills for handling Dewats plants were fine-tuned.

At present, Auroville operates more than 50 Dewats plants for recycling both 'grey' and 'black' domestic wastewater.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest research and advocacy organisation, which promotes environmentally sound and equitable development strategies.

As a part of its natural resources management programmes, CSE has been promoting rainwater harvesting as a practical solution for meeting water scarcity and recharging the fast depleting groundwater table. With its campaign—People's management of water, that aims to make water everybody's business, CSE is striving to revive community-based rainwater harvesting systems.. Awareness generation, capacity building, networking, technical services and policy research are the integral part of CSE’s campaign on water.

Council of Architecture (COA)
COA regulates both the education and practice of architecture within India. It aims at maintaining world standards of this profession through legal, professional and educational means. As part of its mission, COA also provides practicing professionals and teachers in the field with regular publications, seminars and workshops.

Sulabh International Institute of Technical Research and Training, New Delhi
Sulabh is engaged in the development of new and sustainable technologies. It is active in disseminating information, providing demonstrations, training and consultancy in the field of decentralised wastewater treatment systems, solid waste management, and low cost sanitation.

 

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CII workshop on rainwater harvesting in Dehradun

A workshop on Urban Rainwater Harvesting: Techniques and Case Studies held in Dehradun on October 8, 2004 drew an enthusiastic response from industries, NGOs, schools, local administration and senior citizens of the city.

The event, which was held at Hotel Madhuban, was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) northern region, Uttaranchal state unit. Officials from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) gave presentations on various aspects of rainwater harvesting at the workshop.

(From left) CII's D N Mazumdar and Hemant K Arora (Vice-Chairman, CII,
Uttaranchal) watch as CSE's Salahuddin Saiphy makes a presentation
In his keynote address, Hemant K Arora, Vice-Chairman, CII Uttranchal State Council, said that India has 16 per cent of the world's population but only four per cent of water. The percentage of the urban dwellers has trebled over the past 50 years. He added that President APJ Abdul Kalam has asked all state governments to give priority to rainwater harvesting.

Jal Yodha, a film produced by CSE was also screened on the occasion. The film introduces viewers to the technique and management practices governing community water management.

CSE's Salahuddin Saiphy detailed the growing desperation over water in major cities of India. He attributed the water crisis in India despite good monsoons to improper management of water resources.

Saiphy said that the water supply problems caused by Dehradun's altitude and topography could be mitigated to some extent by adopting rooftop rainwater harvesting (RWH).
Exhibition on rainwater harvesting techniques


He later outlined the major components of RWH system and said that storing the rainwater in storage tanks for direct use is a good practice that can be adopted in Dehradun, keeping in view the rainfall pattern and hydro-geological conditions.

The meeting ended up with a lively discussion. The participants unanimously agreed that it is time to practise water conservation techniques like RWH. The participants also requested CSE officials to visit them and suggest an RWH scheme. The participants also enjoyed the exhibition of posters on urban RWH put up at the venue.

 

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Training programme on water management for NTPC engineers
On September 1-2, 2004, a two day training programme on RWH was organized for thirty civil engineers from National Thermal Power Corporate (NTPC), a leading Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India.

CSE and NTPC were jointly organizing similar programs for the last three years.
The training curriculum included traditional and contemporary water harvesting techniques in both urban and rural areas. A visit was to the recently launched Raincentre (RC) in Meerut was also organized. Anil Rana, President, Janhit foundation, the host of RC, explained the water harvesting system at the centre. He also shared his experiences on water management in Uttar Pradesh in general and Meerut in particular.

For more details:

RK Srinivasan, CSE
Ashis K Chatterjee, NTPC

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Paryavaran Sammelan vows to protect waterbodies in Baghpat
On August 29, 2004, Jeevan Surabhi Sewa Sansthan and Prakriti Bachao Andolan, Baghpat based NGOs jointly organized a Payavaran Sammelan (meeting on environment) was organised in Khekda in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. The meeting was attended by Sarpanchs from different villages, local leaders, senior citizens and students. The objective was to sensitize the villagers.

Baghpat, once dotted with numerous waterbodies is heading towards a water crisis. The district has already been declared a dark zone and the waterbodies are being heavily encroached. During his speech, Omveer Tomar, Director, Jeevan Surabhi Sewa Sansthan appealed the citizens to maintain and protect the water bodies and free them from encroachments. He also urged the local administration and judiciary to be more proactive when it comes to protecting the waterbodies.

Chaudhary Noor Hasan, Sarpanch of Ratol a village in Baghpat, during his speech recollected that the area used to be one of the largest exporters of Ratol, a special variety of mangoes. Absence of desired soil moisture has resulted in the poor yield of mangoes, which has resulted in the decline in the mango orchards. Besides this, irrigation mostly from groundwater has become costlier due to steep decline in water levels. He also insisted on the tree plantation as the number of tree is sharply declining in the area.

The CSE staffer, highlighted the ironical situation that the country faces-droughts and floods. He called upon the audience to manage water resources efficiently. He also outlined the importance of traditional water harvesting practices in water management. The importance of conserving existing water bodies and other groundwater resources were also highlighted. He opined that rainwater harvesting is a simple yet effective technique to replenish our water resources.

The meeting ended with a resolution to "conserve the existing water bodies, construct new waterbodies in wastelands and increase the vegetation in the area" so as to preserve the natural resources.

For more details:

Omveer Tomar
Jeevan Surabhi Sewa Sansthan
Teacher Colony
Nehru Road
Baraut,
Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh
09837422262

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CSE addresses students and citizens in Meerut
On August 19, 2004, Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board (UPHADB) organised an awareness programme on rainwater harvesting in Meerut. Around 120 students and large number of architects, engineers and senior citizens attended the seminar.

The main objective of the programme was to involve school children to spread the message of RWH harvesting to a larger section of the society. Hari Gopal, superintending engineer, UPHADB expressed his concern over alarmingly depleting water levels in the city and appealed the citizens to conserve water at all fronts.

CSE staffer started his audiovisual presentation by screening a film on rainwater harvesting. He indicated that mismanagement of water resources has resulted in series of disasters like droughts and floods in India. He also shared some of the facts and figures of Meerut's water resources. Later he spoke about the principles and components of rainwater harvesting. He also elaborated the methods and techniques - how to implement RWH in a building.

H M Raut, Principal, Deewan Public school summerised the programme and appealed the students to take the message to their homes and actively involved into the campaign.

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Seminar for industries of Gurgaon
On 16th August 2004, a workshop was organised for the managerial level representatives of the industries of Gurgaon, at Unitech Country Club, Gurgaon. The workshop was organised by Eco Profit, a Gurgaon Based NGO. The objective of the workshop was to train the companies in the field of integrated environmental production & service policy at all level to minimize the environmental impact and ensure continuous sustainable development.

 
CSE staffer during his audio visual presentation Interacting with the participants

During the event CSE staffer made a presentation on the rainwater harvesting (RWH) techniques. In his presentation he spoke about the deteriorating quantity and quality of water resources in urban environment due to uncontrolled urbanization and industrialization and increasing gap in demand and supply of water in Gurgaon. Later he explained the concepts and principles of RWH and insisted on the dare need of industries adopting it in view of sharply declining water levels in area. He cited the examples of RWH system of Hero Honda and Tex Corp limited that how industries can ensure adequate water availability by implementing RWH system. He also shared the experiences of monitoring the CSE's model rainwater harvesting of Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.

Efficient water flow management, Life cycle thinking, Eco design, Audit and efficient audit tools were some other topics covered during the workshop over two days.


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Plumbers and masons training in Delhi
CSE trained plumbers, masons and small contractors on Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) techniques at its Tughlakabad office on 18th august 2004. The objective of the training was to impart the training to the real implementers of RWH structures and to generate the resource base in the city.

Full day training programme was divided into two sessions- theoretical and practical.. During the theoretical session Sumita Dasgupta, Coordinator Jal Swaraj spoke about CSE's campaign. CSE staffer outlined the griming water scarcity in most of Indian citied because of negligence of traditional water harvesting practices and uncontrolled use of water resources. They were not only taught the concept, principles of RWH but also how to design the structures. Some tips for economical and good quality construction were also shared with them.

During the second session- practical session, the participants were asked to plan a rainwater harvesting scheme for a given site plan. All participants made a scheme of RWH. Some of the participants presented their designs and actively participated in the discussion. "Jal Yodha" 22 minutes long film on water was also screened at the occasion.

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Kolkata gets tips on rainwater harvesting
A seminar on rainwater harvesting was organised in Kolkata, West Bengal,
on August 10, 2004. Experts from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
were invited to speak on the potential of harvesting rain to address the water crisis in the city.

R Bandyopadhyaya, principal secretary, Water Investigation and Development, of the West Bengal government inaugurated the event, organised by Tata Pipes. Architects, builders, representatives of NGOs and government officials were among those who attended the event.

In his inaugural address, Bandyopadhyaya said that a study conducted by his department concluded that the conical depression developed due to fall in water level in late 1950s has spread over most of the city, especially South Kolkata. “If the situation prevails, it may lead to seawater intrusion,” he said.

R.K. Srinivasan, deputy coordinator, Natural Resource Management Unit, CSE, explained the basic concepts of rainwater harvesting and then gave a detailed presentation on the water scenario in Kolkata. He also shared the results of impact monitoring studies conducted at CSE’s rainwater harvesting model projects in New Delhi.

D. Prakash, regional director of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) spoke
about the CGWB-funded pilot rainwater harvesting project at Patoli. In the interaction session that followed, the participants asked a lot of questions regarding various technical and policy aspects of rainwater harvesting.


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Awareness programme on rainwater harvesting in Agra
On August 6, 2004, the Agra division of the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board organised an awareness programme on rainwater harvesting, and CSE was invited to provide an insight on the potential of this system, especially in the context of the city. The programme, which targetted school children, teachers and municipal officials, was inaugurated by the District
Magistrate, Mahesh Kumar Gupta.

The session held in two phases and attended by about three hundred people—was extremely interactive. Sumita Dasgupta, Coordinator, Natural Resource Management Unit, CSE, explained the basic concept of RWH and then presented in details the water scenario in Agra city. She explained the relevance of the technology vis-à-vis Agra and concluded with suggestions on how this initiative on spreading water literacy among the citizens can be carried forward.

The students came up with a volley of questions and expressed great interest in understanding the role they can play in conserving and management of water.
In his speech, the DM mentioned that in Agra ground water level has depleted by 8m in the last few decades. Hence creating awareness among public about rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour.

He also announced that his administration plans to provide small grants to institutions who implement rainwater harvesting in their premises.

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Training Workshop for Engineers
CSE organised a full day training programme for civil engineers on rainwater harvesting on August 4, 2004 at its Tughlakabad office. The engineers were attached with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and working in different parts of the country like Ahmedabad, Bangalore Chennai, Guwahati, Ernakulam, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. The programme was conducted in collaboration Advanced Level Telecom Training Centre (ALTTC), Ghaziabad.

The training programme was divided into two sessions- theoretical and practical. Audio visual presentation started with screening the 90 seconds public service advertisement on rainwater harvesting and was deeply appreciated by the audiences.

During the theoretical session that started with Jalswaraj Campaign, urgency of water management and scope of rainwater harvesting in griming water situation in the country left participants in a shock. Laws and legislations in different cities like Delhi, Chennai, Indore, Kanpur, Mumbai and Bangalore were discussed. Engineers were not only given the introduction of basics and principals of rainwater harvesting but also exposed to planning and designing aspects of rainwater harvesting structures in detail. Experiences from the CSE's Model rainwater harvesting projects were also shared with participants.

During the second session- practical session participants were shown the rainwater harvesting system of CSE's building and later Jamia Hamdard University. There not only they saw different RWH structure but also interacted with the host of the project, Mr Ahmad Ali, Executive Engineer, Jamia Hamdard University.

While coming back to the class rooms they were asked to design RWH system in a given site plan. All of them calculated total annual RWH potential of the site and designed the scheme. Few participants also made presentation of their designs.

The programme ended up with the feedback session and Rustam Vania, Co-ordinator, Environment Education Unit distributed certificates to all participants.

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Training Programme for plumbers in Kanpur
Plumbers, masons and contractors were trained by CSE staffers in Hotel Bliss, Kanpur on August 3, 2004. The objective of the program was to equip the plumber with the technology of rainwater harvesting and prepare them for implementation. It was a day long training programme, divided into two sessions- theoretical and practical session. About 35 plumbers, masons attended the program.

During the theoretical session, Salahuddin Saiphy and R K Srinivasan from Jal Swaraj Campaign, CSE briefed about the griming situation of water in major Indian cities including Kanpur. In Kanpur, deteriorating water quality and declining water table is the major concern as far as the water is concerned. The basics and principals of rainwater harvesting were elaborated to the participants in detail. Planning and designing aspects were also introduced to them.

During the practical session, the participants were taken to the terrace of the hotel where they measured the dimensions of the building and demarcated the location of rainwater pipes on the site plan. Later they themselves calculated the annual water harvesting potential of the site and designed the rainwater harvesting scheme. Group leaders also presented their designs and thorough discussion among the participants and trainers resulted in a cost effective and suitable structure.

"Boond- Boond Se Ghat Bhare", a film on traditional water harvesting practices and 90 seconds public service advertisement on rainwater harvesting were also screened during the event and were deeply appreciated by the audiences.

List of plumbers, trained during CSE's Training Programme on Rainwater harvesting at Hotel Bliss, Kanpur, July 3, 2004


S. No.  Name Address  Phone no.
1. Debendra Singh 132/38, Baradavi  Chowraha, Kanpur 2641073
2. Amar 7/116, Saroop Nagar, Kanpur 9839100649
3. Ganesh Chander das 7/116, Saroop Nagar, Kanpur 3210577
4. Dwarika  Das 84/224, Karwal Nagar, Kanpur 9415133731
5. Sripal Gupta 336/ML, HARAH Kanpur  
6. Raj kumar singh 83/8, Govind  Nagar, Kanpur 2652823
7. Hari Nagar 104/264, C.P. Road, Kanpur 9839533131
8. Nand Kishore 75/32, Halsi Road, Kanpur -
9. Ramji 141/A, PateL Nagar, Kanpur  
10. Akhoy 60/116, Swarup Nagar, Kanpur 231260
11. Kamlesh kumar 127/284, W-I, Swaket Nagar, Kanpur 2608449
12. M.D.  Rafiq 105/257, Prem Nagar, Kanpur 2553699
13. Om Prakash 50 K 2, BARAH, Kanpur 2681520
14. Ashok Kumar 141/A, Patel Nagar, Kanpur -2400871
15. Ramu 78/4, Anwar ganj, Kanpur  
16. Amarnath 9/A/B, BARAH, Kanpur 2681520
17. Sripath Rawatpur, Kanpur 2291694
18. Yogendra Govindnagar, Kanpur 3813947
19. Ram  Prasad 97/1, Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur  
20. Bijay Kumar  Srinagar, Suklagang, Kanpur  
21. Santosh kumar A Block 669, Kanpur  
22. Mnoj Kumar BARAH, Kanpur  
23. Amrit Lal  12/480, Makra Kanpur  
24. Surendra Gupta  MANGLABIHARIST  
25. Mohmad Idrish 116/936 Rawatpur 2501096
26. Shakil  Machalia, Kanpur  
27. MD Islam Rawatpur, Kanpur  
28. Bahadur 85/65 HALVA, Kanpur  
29. Bablu 85/65 ,  HALVA, Kanpur  
30. M. D. Arif 116/936 Roshan Nagar, Kanpur  
31. Sharma ji Ranapratapnagar, Kanpur  
32. Dashrath Singh 30, Usman pur  Colony, Kanpur  
33. Rashey shyam 209, Ambedkar nagar, Kanpur  
34. Prithvi pal mourya 107/2 Jareeb Chowk Chauraha, Kanpur 3093954
35 Barkatullah Siddiqui 21/1 Ompurwa, Kanpur 9839116839240384




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Training Programme for plumbers in Ghaziabad
On August 2, 2004 a training program for plumbers and masons was organised in Shipra Hotel, Ghaziabad. The objective of the program was to impart training on the basics and design aspects of rainwater harvesting and to generate the resource base in implementation sector. The day long training programme was divided into two sessions- theoretical session and practical session. About 54 participants attended the program which includes plumbers, masons, tube well drillers and small contractors.

During the theoretical session, Salahuddin Saiphy from Jal Swaraj Campaign, CSE outlined the national water scenario focusing on major Indian cities. The widening demand and supply gap in almost every city and increasing dependence on groundwater resources was elaborated in detail. R K Srinivasan, Dy. Coordinator Natural Resource management Unit, CSE not only taught basics and principals of rainwater harvesting but also shared experiences from the model rainwater harvesting projects.

How to plan and design rainwater harvesting structures in a building were elaborated in detail by Salahuddin Saiphy. Specifications for making the structures and the precautions to be taken during the implementation were also discussed in detail.

During the second session- practical session, the participants were taken to the terrace of the hotel. The participants measured the dimensions of the building and demarcated the location of rainwater pipes and bore well on the site plan. All participants calculated the annual water harvesting potential of the site and designed the rainwater harvesting scheme. Some of the plumbers also presented their designs and a very interactive session took place when many plumbers gave their inputs and suggestions for improving the structures.

Responding to a question put by a plumber, it was suggested that any kind of contaminated water should not be used for ground water recharge because that may lead to groundwater pollution in long term. "Jal Yodha", a film on traditional water harvesting practices in different parts of India was also shown during the event.


List of plumbers, trained during CSE's Training Programme on Rainwater harvesting at Shipra Hotel, Ghaziabad, on July 1, 2004

S. No. Name  Address Telephone no.

1

Lokesh Kumar 521/1 Kiratan Wali Gali, G. T. Ghaziabad 0120- 3095103