As the monsoon sweeps in and drenches the country, problems of water shortage seem far away. Vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria take centre stage. Floods become an issue. This is however also the time to prepare for the after-monsoon too.
Many of the issues with water are local. Making sure that there is no pooling of water or accumulation of garbage in stormwater drains is a local issue best addressed at that scale. Cleaning up should be the topmost priority for citizenry and local governments alike.
In the beautiful park located in Defence Colony, Indiranagar, in Bengaluru an old open well is the centre of attention. A team of well cleaners are pumping the dirty water out, getting into the well and removing the mulch and silt, applying lime wash and potassium permanganate to clean the waters and finally fixing a mesh to prevent garbage being thrown in. Lying unused and derelict, a local residents’ group has come together to make sure the well regains its past glory. They remember a time when the well was clean and gave plenty of water for the neighbourhood’s requirement. By taking charge and cleaning the well, not only has mosquito breeding and garbage dumping been prevented but a local water source resuscitated.
Simple idea
In the small town of Vijaypura many years ago, an underground sewage line was placed. Wastewater was collected and lead out of the town into a small channel which ultimately reached a lake. Unfortunately, the sewage treatment plant proposed for collecting and treating the sewage never came about because of land acquisition issues. This wastewater was a nuisance, pooling up and smelling. Rats and bandicoots proliferated as did flies and mosquitoes.
Muniyappa, a farmer whose land abutted the wastewater channel and whose well had gone dry, saw the potential of this wastewater. Through a simple diversion and pool, he collected the wastewater, filtered it through grills and then pumped it through a special pump to his dry parched fields. Now the 6 acres is lush green with mulberry which grows abundantly. His requirement of fertilizers is also minimal and since mulberry is a non-edible crop, entry of pathogens or toxins into the food chain is eliminated.
The drain is no longer a pool of wastewater. Vectors do not breed. The town does not need a sewage treatment plant any longer and the livelihood of small and marginal farmers all along the wastewater channel flourishes. A local solution driven by the creativity of farmers such as Muniyappa.
Even such a simple thing as collecting rainwater and putting it into a sump or a recharge well can help in preventing urban floods if many sites and buildings do the same.
The ability to manage water and sanitation locally transfers powers to the individual and empowers her to creatively engage with a broader social problem. Acting locally and not merely thinking and analysing is the way to water wisdom.
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