At a time when water scarcity is gradually becoming a part and parcel of the summer blues in the city, the members of Andhra Pradesh Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWAS) and the District Water Management Agency and a few residents have shown the way to utilise the resources prudently.
Advocating measures on how everyone can contribute to saving water, residents of Jagannadha Raju (JR) Nagar have set an example for other resident welfare associations. The colony, located near Isukatota Junction, has more than 40 rainwater harvesting pits. “It’s one of the effective ways to tackle the problem of depleting water table. We want to promote such measures in a big way,” says K.S.R. Murthy, president of JRNRWA and vice-president of APFERWAS.
Not only this, the APFERWAS has listed out 10 vital measures to conserve water including rainwater harvesting system, fixing the leaking taps and attaching altered nozzles to taps.
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To translate these ideas into action, the APFERWAS has undertaken a campaign to sensitise the citizens, distributing bilingual pamphlets.
“The idea here is each individual can contribute to the endeavour, adopting simple methods. We have already experimented with the altered nozzles at households and the results have been impressive,” says Uday Shirname, president of APFERWAS.
To increase the groundwater level in Visakhapatnam, District Water Management Agency (DWMA) is digging up more number of water absorption trenches.
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Innovative approach
“Last year, the DWMA completed the works of 1,864 water absorption trenches across the district. This year, works of 1,192 water absorption trenchers have been undertaken. Such initiatives aim at ensuring the retention of rainwater thereby improving the groundwater table,” says A. Kalyana Chakravarti, project director of DWMA.
Small steps at individual level can also contribute a lot to solve the water issues.
C. Manjulatha, HoD of Zoology Department of Andhra University, has devised her own ways to conserve water.
“I collect the water used for rinsing during cooking and ensure that it reaches the kitchen gardens,” says Prof. Manjulatha, a resident of Sivajipalem.