[sushantr5]

I am from Pune. In our society rain harvesting has been done to just show to authorities. Only 5-10% water from terrace goes in for recharging. Rest other flows on the road. Our society lacked will and never wanted to spend money on complete rain water harvesting. This was problem of mindset of people. Though I had a thought this must be done and it is limited to just thought. It all comes to mindset of people who oppose and mindset of people like me/us who do not act. We simply wait for others to join. We think that it is not our problem till it is everybody's problem. Just thinking good does not make you good person.

Now after realizing this I have decided to complete rainwater harvesting without support from society. I am looking for the solution which involve less costly method of ground water recharge. So as we know this is universal problem in India, I think we should turn this thread into informative thread instead of only complaint and cry thread.

Edit:

The inspiration for act instead of wait came from Mass Movement in Maharashtra encouraged by Pani Foundation. Pani Foundation is the NGO which is actively encouraging rain water harvesting in villages through innovative competition. Aamir Khan is part of this NGO and he is doing really commendable job by spending his time and energy for this good cause.

http://www.paanifoundation.in/

My ancestors village named 'Bidal' is part of this competition and I can see tremendous inspiration in the people. My Village has collected more that Rs.50 Lakhs in donation, more than 2000 people are digging trenches daily. Village has been reeling under severe drought for last two decades.

Similarly more than 1300 villages have participated. And this thing is going to change the fate of many villages in near future.

[AltoLXI]

The Karnataka government is planning the "Patala Ganga" project, which is opposed vehemently by the geologists, in drought affected areas of Kolar and Gadag. Each drilling is estimated to cost 12.5 crores. This involves drilling wells in the range of 3000 to 8000 feet. An Ahmedabad based company has proposed the idea to the state government.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/58511049.cms

Kannada newspapers last month carried articles explaining the dangers involved in this project. Apart from over-exploiting the ground water, the water is not at all suitable for consumption.

A program was broadcast in Digvijaya channel a few minutes back. A geologist who was interviewed explained how the water in the now defunct gold mines in KGF, which are also 3 kms deep, have very high Arsenic and Sulphur content. Saudi Arabia also tried this experiment in 80s, transforming its barren deserts into rich irrigated wheat fields and then collapsed.

https://www.revealnews.org/article/w...water-mystery/

https://newrepublic.com/article/1255...t-saudi-arabia

[rm_arjuna]

We were dependent on tankers since last many years spending an average of 30000 every month inspite of having 2 borewells (1200 & 850 ft). Most important inspite of such high spending on water we never had 24 hr supply of water.
Tried implementing water meters got stalled due to couple of owners not agreeing on the project. Have done extensive study and witnessed at least 10 apartments where it is implemented and all these places are water surplus along with reduced consumption and overhead expenses.
Last year decided to redo rainwater harvesting pit inside the apartment and also dug new one's along periphery of our building to conserve water running off other buildings.

Till date we are self sufficient with our own bore wells without any tanker supply with 24 hr supply and also saving around 20-25 k monthly which otherwise was spent on tankers.

Now couple of owners have volunteered to install rfid water meters on a pilot run.

[hangover]

You can do the project at a much lower cost. Install normal metres.

For a similar work a long time ago, i had dentified one or two models that have a good and low least count. The problem is not the meters themselves. That is the easy part.

Your builder may not have considered today's issues. Each apartment typically has 2-3 inlets. You have to scrap your entire existing piping and redo it. You need that water to flow via a measuring device.

Currently cPVC pipes are an acceptable alternative to GI pipes. It is worth it. Our little society went from a peak of 15 X 5000 liter tankers daily to 4 or 5 X 5000. That is a lot of savings.

Earlier we had people taking 2 baths a day or using an excessive amount to wash clothes. When the cost was no longer subsidized by parsimonious owners, others become conservative.

Cleaning your car isn't a luxury. It is much nicer to drive a clean car than an untidy one. What if that day was the luckiest one of your Life?

[Chillout]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

I have my own house in Chennai and I have installed Water 365 aerator in all the main taps. It limits the water to 6LPM no matter.....

By gods grace and some smart planning we haven't faced any water shortage over the last 30 years in Chennai. We are one of the few houses who still have a well. We put a simple rain water harvesting mechanism 25 years back and that is still helping us as the well gets recharged during the monsoons.

Our is a small / dead end street with just three houses on each side. When authorities came to lay the platforms, we opposed them and told them we don't need a platform. As a result we have 2.5 feet of land on either side of the road where we have planted flowering plants and trees. This also helps water to seep in during the rains.

As mentioned by others we and our greed is the only reason for this alarming water scarcity and unless people become conscious and take effective steps, starting from within their houses we are heading to a catastrophe of un-imagined magnitude.

My humble request to all Team Bhpians , plant at least two or three trees in your life time and nurture them. For my part I have planted over 5 native species of trees and its a happy sight to see them flower and grow. This is the best gift that you can give for your future generations.

[ZedMae]

Originally Posted by ashokrajagopal

--- Water consumption has never come down. The statement we usually hear is that its only 1k per tanker and we are ready to pay for it. ---
If you start charging higher rate, the only ones who would suffer are the ones who are actually poor.

You are right that the poor end up victims by paying higher rates for consuming the lowest per capita quantum of water in the city. But it is not entirely true that metering will not bring down consumption. There is a case study of a layout (individual villas) in Sarjapura road (and pretty high end mind you) which has been engaging in water conservation initiatives since 2008-09. Recharge wells, water metering, slab based tariffs with increasing tariffs for higher consumption, banning of private borewell drilling, reuse of STP water for gardening are some of them. There has been a significant reduction in per capita consumption. (Do not remember the numbers) and its borewells yield water for most of the year thereby reducing their dependence on tanker water.

This is the link to the case study
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/arti...itizens-centre

The apartment scenario that you mentioned as counter productive was because there everyone is paying uniformly irrespective of their consumption. Hence a low consuming household is effectively cross subsidizing a high consuming household. So the low consuming household does not have any incentive to conserve and hence everyone indulges in wasteful consumption and it is a vicious cycle.

[madhav]

I used to live in an apartment in Kundalahalli where water charges were killing us. The committee pretty much decided and pushed for the water meter installation. The old pipes were abandoned and new pipes were laid to ensure the meters could be fixed at only one point. The project costed around 15K/flat and about 3 months to convert around 500 flats, but the savings were immediately visible. I think the Govt. should mandate individual meters for each flat.

Also, an interesting project http://www.warkawater.org/ I'm sure we can use something like this in many of the drought hit areas.

[DevSoms]

Hi,

I hope i am not intruding onto the tread of water problems in Bangalore. But in Mumbai i have started using a daily car wash service without water. My own little measure to try and save water.

Link to the service/company -> http://www.carnanny.in/

Does Bangalore have something like this? Will definitely help the situation there.

Note : I am in no way a spokesperson or connected to the company mentioned.

[centaur]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Bangalore's demise has begun, it is following the same path and until the government and people work together effectively to prevent/postpone the inevitable, things shall come to a boiling point as soon as next year.

Its actually many cities and not Bangalore. Most such hubs are soon going to be on an infrastructure collapse. Its high time government stepped in and stopped corporations from giving permissions to new constructions if the existing ones cannot be provided for. Adding to it, all old/new societies and households should be asked compulsorily asked to invest in rainwater harvesting systems and also put in water meters

Originally Posted by sushantr5

I am from Pune. In our society rain harvesting has been done to just show to authorities. Only 5-10% water from terrace goes in for recharging. Rest other flows on the road. Our society lacked will and never wanted to spend money on complete rain water harvesting. This was problem of mindset of people.

Same here. In our society there apparently is a RWHS but I am not sure. Few are taking an initiative but it's not just going through but just sits atop the list of Top priority items. Not sure when it will see the light of the day. Adding to it, we have 3 bore wells of which 2 were dug in the last year/year and a half and those 2 are now dry. As per the regulation from corporation, we cannot dig more than 500 ft and if it has to go beyond that, then I suppose special permission and all is required

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

Tried implementing water meters got stalled due to couple of owners not agreeing on the project.

This is the case in almost all societies and most likely, the people opposing would be the ones who waste/use water a lot more than others and if the meters are implemented, there will be a big hole in their pockets. best option in case of societies, is to get the same resolved in an SGM and continue with implentation

Originally Posted by hangover

Your builder may not have considered today's issues. Each apartment typically has 2-3 inlets. You have to scrap your entire existing piping and redo it. You need that water to flow via a measuring device.

Thats right! In our place too, we are facing this hurdle. To get a meter in place, there would need to be a single inlet per flat before the meter and the inlet can split up into multiple ones post the meter. If there are multiple inlets per flat, either the pipelining needs to be scrapped or you will need to have one meter per inlet for a flat. The latter is cumbersome in terms of cost, effort and administration

Originally Posted by ZedMae

You are right that the poor end up victims by paying higher rates for consuming the lowest per capita quantum of water in the city.

I am not sure what you would be referring to when you 'poor' here but if you mean the people staying in chawls or slums, then they get 24 hour water supply in most cases because they are the actual vote banks.

[ZedMae]

Originally Posted by centaur

I am not sure what you would be referring to when you 'poor' here but if you mean the people staying in chawls or slums, then they get 24 hour water supply in most cases because they are the actual vote banks.

How do you know this? Is it just an assumption based on hearsay? Most of the urban poor do not have access to piped supply (let alone 24 hours supply). They buy from tankers and pay by the pot/ bucket. What they pay equates to more than Rs. 60-70 per kilo litre whereas the highest tariff in BWSSB slab is Rs. 36 per kilo litre. So the rich who use fresh water to water their lawn (which are water guzzlers) pay much lesser than the urban poor who consume a fraction.
I know because I used to work with an NGO on water sustainability.

[centaur]

This is as per people who stay in chawls/slums and come to work in societies. Probably it could be different from city to city, so not sure. In that case I do stand corrected!

[LoneTraveller]

The cool weather,tree-lined roads,beautiful gardens and water bodies gave Bengaluru a unique identity. but thanks to the recent developments,these features are no more!

In the name of development, trees have been cut down for road widening, the once beautiful gardens have turned into ugly garbage dump yards and what about the water-bodies?

They have simply vanished! They have been covered to make way for stadiums, apartments,malls,parking lots and other buildings.I agree that developments are necessary but steps should be taken for conserving the environment.

These water-bodies used to help to maintain the ground water table and now in their absence,the ground water table has been depleting at an alarming rate!

Taps are running dry and people are banging their heads wondering what to be done.So how can this water crisis be solved? The answer is simple!

RAIN WATER HARVESTING(RWH)

I know implementing RWH is not easy as it sounds as many people do not consider it due to the additional costs involved but what they actually do not realise is that RWH gives you fruitful,long-lasting results!

Regards,
LoneTraveller

[A M]

Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) does not approve a building plan without the rainwater harvesting systems. It is a mandate to build one in every house and after the construction is completed, officials visit the site to inspect and only after that a completion certificate is issued.
Similar processes and mandatory checks should be implemented everywhere across the country.

[silverado]

A simple task of washing a single car leads to consumption of around 45-50 liters every time.

People tend to wash everyday, even when they are parked in covered parking and there is no need.( Just because you have a washing guy who is supposed to clean your car everyday ).

If a small housing society has around 100 cars, just imagine the wastage daily!

There should be dedicated Car washing area designed to trap that water, which could be eventually used to water some trees.

[roby_dk]

I was there in Bangalore from April-2015 to Oct-2016 and the water situation was terrible in my apartment. I stayed in Mantri Tranquil and water tankers used to come and go every 10-15 minutes whole day and night.

I think government should think of shifting the companies to nearby areas. Something similar to NCR region in Delhi.