UTVi Life: Water table concerns

UTVi Life: Water table concerns

MUMBAI: Over the years, developers went all out to tap the growing
demand for housing and office spaces. And such large scale developments
in land starved metros meant filling up of water bodies like this one.
But this in turn has put immense pressure on the already low ground
water table in the cities.

A case in point is Gurgaon where the water table has gone down as
low as 40m. Thanks to the scores of high-rises that dot the satellite
town.

And then you have Alpha G Corp's Gurgaon One project, an
eco-friendly residential complex in the same area. And thanks to water
conservation initiatives taken up here that has brought the ground
water table across this 1000 acre complex up by more than 10metres.    

For residents like Supreet, this translates into an improved quality of her daily life.

Supreet, MNC professional said, "I have spent a lot of time in Saket
and RK Puram. So I have seen the kind of water shortage problem that
these areas face. We used to get water from 6-8 in the morning &
then from 5-8 in the evening. But since the time we have shifted here,
there is no much problem. Regular supply, because of the systems in
place".

So what exactly are these systems that make sure that residents here get regular water supply and minimize wastage?

The project has a rain water harvesting system in place that helps recharge the ground water table.

Also, the sewage treatment plant recycles waste water which is then used in the lawns and in the toilets.  

In fact so crucial it is to reduce wastage for long term growth and
even survival that govt. is using both incentives & regulation to
encourage water conservation.

Ashok Jaitly, The Energy and Resources Institute said, "In fact
state governments have introduced a scheme where they provide financial
assistance to people who want to build RWH structures. In Chennai, it's
become mandatory. Your building plan is not passed if you don't have a
RWH structure".

Now if you thought you need huge resources to set up a RWH system,
take a cue from architect Vishwanathan. This Bangalore based architect
has developed his own water conservation system right in his own
backyard. 

Vishwanathan, Architect said, "We pick about 1mn liters of storm
water, send it into a pit which goes around the well to about 10feet
depth and all the water goes through a filter of sand & gravel
& gets into the bore well itself about 350feet deep. The water
table here has come up by 80 feet in the last 8yrs".

Now you don't need to set up these systems to make a beginning, small measures at home can get you big savings.

For instance fixing leaking taps can result in saving up to over 10,000 litres a year. 

You can water your lawns in the morning rather than later in the day and save up to 1200 litres annually.

Using tumblers and not running water while brushing your teeth can save up to 11 liters of water each time 

Also, did you know that by fitting low flush toilets, you can save
nearly 70 % of water flushed and also cut down indoor water use by
almost one third.

Those were some simple yet smart tips to minimize water wastage. And
if your complex, like this one has water recycle systems in place, then
you can reduce the pressure on ground water and automatically bring
down your water bills.