#Pune365Agenda 2 – Year after year, Pune faces the dreadful consequences of water scarcity, often compounded by disregard for water conservation, be it the wastage or the lack of monitored usage in the city…
Time and again, we have been ignoring the alarming issue of water crisis that we face everyday. While most are fortunate enough to get uninterrupted water supply twice a day, many places in the city still have to depend on water tankers and community taps to meet their daily water requirements.
The stress on supplying water is so much that even Pune Municipal Corporation is unable to fulfill the basic requirement of 135 lts per day per person
In an effort to draw attention to this reality, we spoke to city experts to understand the concerns and arrive at practical solutions to tackle this scarcity.
Colonel (Retd) Shashikant Dalvi, Rainwater Harvesting Expert and Environmentalist, opined that, all it takes is individual effort to deal with the water crisis in the city.
“Water conservation at individual levels is what one needs to stress upon.
An individual should make it a point to reduce the consumption of water at source and also reuse it. With something as basic as using bucket water for shower, closing taps when not in use or using water saving aerators in taps to reduce the flow of water, one can contribute a lot in saving water.”
The cost of a water saving aerator ranges from Rs 150-200. It reduces the water flow, regulates the pressure and doesn’t affect the water usage experience. It can be installed in wash basins, kitchen sinks, dry balconies, shower heads– hand/overhead, health faucets, etc.
He also states that 75-80% of the water supplying tankers have leakages leading to a lot of water wastage. “Authorities should keep a check on such tankers and fine them under such circumstances.
Many community taps in slum areas also suffer leakages which are also kept unattended leading to a lot of wastage.Additionally, authorities should also work towards creating awareness among citizens,” he adds.
It takes around eight-ten days to install a rainwater harvesting system for a society with 50 flats. The estimated cost comes to around two lakhs. For individual houses, it costs around Rs 20,000 – Rs 40,000 for setting-up the system. Additional Rs 20,000 (or more) is incurred if a bore-well is to be dug.
Udyam Gokhale, Co-founder, Ira Sustainable Water Solutions suggests implementation of cost-effective measures by which one can contribute towards water conservation.
- Bore-well recharging is a popular technique that provides an uninterrupted water supply throughout the year.
- During monsoons, rooftop filters can be used to directly store rain water that can be purified and used for many household purposes.
- Water saving aerators can be installed at every tap to control the flow of water. With each water saving aerator, one can save 80% of water.
source: nrgideas.com
Individual homes can use drip irrigation for small gardens and even terrace gardens.
Water Saving At Individual Level:
- Shift to alternative methods of water saving.
- Take shorter showers or fill the tub only 1/3 full while you bathe.
- Reuse leftover water for cleaning and other purposes.
- Always run the washing machine with full capacity. Half loaded machines consume more water.
- When washing dishes by hand, avoid using running water.
- Reduce the frequency of washing vehicles and shift to waterless techniques like wet wiping that uses less than a bucket of water per car.
- When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water-saving model
- Report water wastage to the concerned authorities on the helpline numbers.
- Check frequently for leakages.
- Collect unused water in a bucket and use it afterwards to mop the floor or water plants.
- Wash vegetables and fruits in a bowl, not under running tap.
You can report water wastage here:
Website: www.complaintboard.in
At the area ward office. Get numbers here: https://pmc.gov.in/en
Or Call TOLL FREE: 1800 1030 222
Reach her at loveleen@pune365.com or tweet @KaurKaur18
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