Wastewater

At Delhi, there are dirty waste water rivulets, “nallahs” crisscrossing all localities and adding to the pollutant load of the river Yamuna. The situation is alarming with today’s count of nallahs standing at more than 22 Nos. These urban drains are nature’s creation and are meant to convey storm / rain water from upstream areas to downstream, finally leading to the river.

This article by Dr. Prakasham Tata traces the author’s childhood dream of doing something to improve public health in Vizianagaram by ameliorating the conditions of Pedda Cheruvu and to provide a better environment around its historical centers, namely the fort, music college, clock tower, arts and science college, and the park housing the tombs of the maharajas. 

This presentation by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board deals with the Environment Action Plan (Part – B) for Bangalore. The presentation begins with a description of the drainage pattern of the city and the major rivers in and around it. The objectives of the EAP are set out as –

• Stopping flow of raw sewage into storm water drains.
• Achieving zero discharge of raw sewage into drains.
• Conveying sewage to treatment plants and treating to meet standards.
• Improving environment.
• Improving socio-economic status.

A major problem faced by the towns and cities across the world is the dealing with the huge volume of wastewater generated everyday. The wastewater is either treated with high costing conventional water treatment procedures or let untreated into rivers or other water bodies.

The study by IWMI deals with a case study of urban wastewater as a valuable resource for agriculture in Haroonabad, Pakistan. Farming communities in water-scarce regions increasingly practice the use of urban wastewater in agriculture. Untreated urban wastewater is generally considered unacceptable for direct use because of potential health risks.

A series of Press Releases from sources indicate the progress on the matter of the Ganga River Basin Authority. It makes for an informative read with a candid discussion in the comments section!

Ganga River Basin Authority for Comprehensive Management of the Ganga Basin

PIB Friday, February 20, 2009
Ministry of Environment and Forests

 AUTHORITY ENSURES DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE MANNER ENSURING ECOLOGICAL FLOWS IN GANGA

The Government today announced the setting up of a National Ganga River Basin Authority. A statement to this effect was made in Parliament by Shri Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment & Forests. A Notification in this regard is also being issued by the Government.

Vishwanath calls on all to set aside the "yuck" factor and take a rational view of the use of urine as a fertilizer. From a open discussion he goes on to list out the advantages of using plant nutrient rich urine as fertilizer and provides the maths behind his validation!! Write in with your take in the comments!

The Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development recently released the National Urban Sanitation Policy. We attach the document below, as well as key excerpts. We request you to add your comments below regarding the provisions of the Sanitation Policy. Click here to view the National Urban Sanitation Policy The document is quite comprehensive and detailed. It lays out a vision for urban sanitation in India. It instructs states to come up with their own detailed state-level urban sanitation strategies and City Sanitation Plans. It moots the idea of totally sanitised and open-defecation cities as a target and the setting up of a multi-stakeholder City Sanitation Task Force to achieve this. Environmental considerations, public health implications and reaching the unserved and urban poor are given significant emphasis in the policy. Funding options are laid out including direct central and state support including through existing schemes, public-private partnerships, and external funding agencies. It directs that atleast 20% of the funds should be earmarked towards servicing the urban poor. The Center also plans to institute awards to the best performing cities, reminiscent of the Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards for villages. Important Excerpts from the Policy: