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News and Articles
Compilation of weekly round up of news - January 2010 (1- 8, 8 - 12, 12-18)
Posted on 18 Jan, 2010 11:51 PMWeekly roundup of news - January 1-8, 2010
https://www.thehindu.com/2010/01/08/stories/2010010854350400.htm
Kosi breach due to Bihar government's apathy: PAG
Posted on 18 Jan, 2010 05:22 PMPatna, Jan 15 (PTI) The Principal Accountant General (PAG) of Bihar has indicted the state government for the breach in river Kosi embankment in 2008 that rendered lakhs of people homeless and claimed several lives.
Rs 52 lakh sanctioned for Kosi flood hit area disappears: Cheques go missing in Bihar
Posted on 18 Jan, 2010 03:41 PMA fraud in Kosi flood relief distribution has landed a government official in trouble in Bihar's Supaul district.
As many as 286 cheques allegedly went missing from the office of the block development officer (BDO) of Chhatapur in the district.
Tips on sustainable use of ground water for Chennai residents
Posted on 18 Jan, 2010 02:18 PMThe water position in Chennai has been satisfactory for several years now because of a couple of good monsoons, good supply from Andhra Pradesh and from the Veeranam Lake. The rainwater harvesting systems installed by many citizens have also helped in improving ground water levels. However, citizens should not presume that their water problems are solved for the following reasons;
Chennai’s water needs are mainly met by impounding the rainwater from the Araniar-Kortalayar rivers north of the city and the capacity of the reservoirs is woefully inadequate. It has been estimated that an entire year’s supply flows wastefully into the sea consequently. The quantum of supply from AP and the Veeranam Lake is uncertain.
Save water from being flushed down-Thane Municipal Corporation adopts new method
Posted on 17 Jan, 2010 08:19 PMTo adopt method invented by a Thane resident, who used rubber bands, pins, bottle cap to save 25 to 30 litres of water a day
Every time you flush, six litres of processed water goes down the toilet. Even though it may not be required. Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) intends to arrest this wastage of water by suggesting a small modification in the flush tank. It costs less than Rs 5, but could save 25 to 30 litres of water for every household.
The modification was invented by 59-year-old Thane resident Sudhir Gawand, director of Thane Janta Sahakari Bank and former production manager with Sandoz India Ltd. Gawand said, “Ever since water scarcity became such a critical issue in the state I started thinking about ways in which we could save water. I realised we waste too much water with every flush and have little control over it.”
Gawand first modified his own flush tank with the help of a few rubber bands, pins and the lid of a plastic bottle. “Every time we push down the handle, the waterway opens up and the water gushes down the bowl till the stick inside the flush reaches its bottom. I have simply arrested this process and now the water flows only when we lift the tap,” Gawand explains his modifications.
After successfully modifying flushes at his house, he replicated his experiment at a nearby police station and his bank. When TMC learned about the concept, Chief Engineer K D Lala, visited Gawand’s house along with his team.
Impressed with the concept, TMC has now planned to conduct a demonstration of Gawand’s experiments at all their ward offices on Sundays. “Also we can plan to give a demonstration to individual societies if Gawand finds time. If all of the one lakh homes in Thane city adopt this technique, we will save more than 20 MLD water for the city,” said Lala.
HOW TO MODIFY YOUR FLUSH TANK
• Make a hole in any small plastic pet bottle lid and pass any electric wire through it which should be tied at the top end
• Tie other end of the bottle to the stick inside the toilet. Ensure that you have inserted flush tank lid through this wire
• To arrest the movement of the stick inside the flush tie it up with the rubber bands
The inside of a flush tank (above) and the knob (left) that Sudhir Gawand (far left) modified to help save water
Every time you flush, six litres of processed water goes down the toilet. Even though it may not be required. Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) intends to arrest this wastage of water by suggesting a small modification in the flush tank. It costs less than Rs 5, but could save 25 to 30 litres of water for every household.
Waterless urinals technology- An innovative solution to save potable water
Posted on 16 Jan, 2010 10:05 PM
Potable water has been a scarce resource and environmentalists are working day and night to save as much water they can. Many organizations are regularly putting their efforts to make products to save potable water.
Waterless Urinal is one such product available globally and has been mandatory to use in a number of countries. However, the technologies available so far were based on cartridge or oil seal that has high operating costs and regular maintenance; thus the product has not been able to get much support.
Now a new technology has been invented that has no cartridges, chemical requirements and has zero operating costs with no maintenance. These urinals were used in Beijing Olympics and have been approved by the Beijing Olympics Authority for their successful operation. The product has advanced nano-coating to make it anti stain and anti bacterial; providing better hygiene to users and innovative flap technology to control the odor. In India the product was introduced by a New Delhi based organization, a year back and has been tried and tested by different organizations so far.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi has already started installing these urinals for upcoming Common-Wealth Games to provide better civic amenities to visitors and general public.
For more information about the product visit – www.savewater.co.in
Potable water has been a scarce resource and environmentalists are working day and night to save as much water they can. Many organizations are regularly putting their efforts to make products to save potable water.
Understanding gender, water and sanitation through my internship with Arghyam
Posted on 14 Jan, 2010 06:15 AMFrom September until December 2009, I completed an internship with Arghyam through my master's studies at Oregon State University to better understand gender, water, and sanitation in rural locations in South India.
Barrages would prevent Polavaram dam from being an economic and environmental disaster : Analysis reveal
Posted on 12 Jan, 2010 02:20 PMProf.T.Shivaji Rao,
Director, Centre for Environmental Studies,
Gitam University, Visakhapatnam.
Historical Developments: Initially the Polavaram project was proposed as a storage reservoir with FRL at +150ft with a water storage of about 150TMC in 1941. Subsequently many changes were made and in 1948 it emerged as Rampada Sagar dam with FRL at +208ft. with water storage of 836 TMC including 150 MW of hydro-power generation at an estimated cost of 129 crores (at 1948 rates) This scheme was abandoned because it was too costly and was bristled with foundation and construction problems. Subsequently several expert committees were appointed by the Government of India to study the problems of Godavari water utilisation. These committees under the Chairmanship of Dr.A.N. Khosla (1953), Mr.Gulhati (1963) and Mr.A.C.Mitra (1965) suggested to the state Government to build a barrage at Polavaram for improving the irrigation facilities and also to divert Godavari flood water into Krishna river. https://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/02/stories/2009050260540600.htm