"All
the water that will ever be is, right now."
National Geographic, October 1993
In an
earlier post, we gave you global water statistics. Let me quote these again.1
- 2.53% of global water is fresh water (Glaciers, Ground ice, Freshwater lakes, Swamps, River flows, Biological water, atmospheric water)
- 1.7% of global water is in permanent ice/ glaciers (and depleting).
- Only 0.76% of global water is fresh water ground water (and depleting).
- Only 0.007% of global water is in fresh water lakes (and depleting).
- Only 0.0002% of global water is in river flows (and depleting as the sources are drying up).
Water
availability from river flows for home usage, agriculture and industry is no
longer sufficient. There are already indications of water wars between nations and
water riots in our localities.
To ensure
water availability for our burgeoning population we need to ensure
- that the sources of river water are replenished and preserved
- that we can recharge ground water sources
- that we can recharge our fresh water lakes
Further, if we recycle water it increases availability substantially (something that nature anyway does
through the water cycle). Recycled water is purified and treated wastewater so
it can be used again for new purposes, primarily non-drinking. Our post this
week is on
"Water Reuse at Dayalbagh".
This post is by Dr. Satya Prakash, Sarpanch of Prem Nagar Mohalla at Dayalbagh and previously Head of Chemistry at Dayalbagh Educational Institute and Scientist Leader of Nuclear Chemistry at Bhabha Atomic Research Center with inputs from Mr. B S Ahuja, TFA, Radhasoami Satsang Sabha.
Regards,
Anurag
Dr. Satya Prakash writes...
Waste water
from domestic use in Dayalbagh falls into two categories. One arises from kitchens,
bathing, washing clothes and other household chores. This flows into a network
of drains that discharges into open ponds and is used for irrigation and ground
water recharge.
The second category
of waste water is from the sewers of toilets of each of the houses and this
gets collected into septic tanks behind every house. In these septic tanks due
to bacterial degradation the BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand which is a measure
of organic content) is reduced by 60%. The overflow of effluent from septic
tanks is led through the sewerage system to a common collection tank. From here
the effluent is pumped into an oxidation pond where BOD decreases to nearly 10
ppm as the water is further treated. Such independent processing system exists
for each Mohalla of Dayalbagh. The treated water is used to irrigate land for
agricultural produce.
In
addition, effluents collected from a large area within northern part of Agra are
sent to a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) located at Jaganpur, about 5 KM north of the Dayalbagh Colony. A 14 MLD (million litre per day) STP was commissioned in 2011
under an agreement between Agra Nagar Nigam and Dayalbagh, where Dayalbagh
provided land for setup of the STP at a nominal cost. The plant provides 14 MLD
(Million Litre per day) of treated effluent for the Agricultural Farms of
Dayalbagh. Excess water from STP is released to the River Yamuna for downstream usage.
The whole
process of recycling of water ensures lesser water demand from the Yamuna river
and also ensures that the Yamuna does not get polluted through untreated effluents
being discharged into it.
- Igor Shiklomanov's chapter "World fresh water resources" in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York).
Dayalbagh water is real Amritam and recycling ensures the copious and perenial supply of this Amritam.Param Guru Huzur Sahabji Maharaj in the Diary entry dated March 26, 1931 mentioned " We reached Agra at 6.45 PM. On the way, we were troubled much by thirst. Of course , we came acrosd innumerable wels , but the water was brackish. Anyhow, the journey ended and on the whole, without much trobule. Arms and legs become stiff and so i could not go to the evening satsang. When i took the sweet water of Dayalbagh , I thanked Merciful Radhasoami thousnds and thousands of times. There is brackish water for hundreds of miles on all sides of Dayalbagh, while within Dayalbagh itself, the water is sweet. If this is not the special grace of the Lord, what else can it be."
ReplyDeleteMay the Meriful Radhasoami Dayal maintain this special grace for ever till the redemption of all jivas.
always first & best in dayalbagh
ReplyDeleteWith a view to focussing on the significance of Management and conservation of water, SPHEEHA is organising a Seminar on Looming Water Crisis, where eminent national and internationally renowned speakers will share their views. Do look out for further details to be released shortly.
ReplyDeleteThough very impressed, I am not surprised. Dayalbagh is always ahead of the rest of the world. If the govt. wants to clean up the great Indian rivers, they have a wonderful example to emulate. The sooner, the better.
ReplyDeleteRecycling of water and recharge of groundwater as done in Dayalbagh is the key which will open the doors to clean water for all, and as usual Dayalbagh leads here too by example.
ReplyDeleteEfficient conservation and utilisation of water in a most optimal way.
ReplyDeleteInstead of spending stupendous amounts on planning to connect rivers,India should emulate Dayalbagh,in respect of recycling & recharging, which is giving very good results.Thanks for the enlightening blog post.
ReplyDeleteEach & every activity in Dayalbagh is the Planning of The Merciful Almighty Himself, so has to be the best.HE HIMSELF shows the way to the world through Dayalbagh. Most fortunate are the people doing this great service wholeheartedly & working hard upon various projects in Dayalbagh.Hearty congrats!!
ReplyDeleteA very meaningful couplet by the famous Hindi Poet, Rahim signifies the importance of Water. It goes as:
ReplyDeleteरहिमान पानी राखिए, बिन पानी सब सून|
पानी गये ना ऊबरे, मोती मानुष चून||
(Rahiman pani rakhiye, bin pani sab soon.
Pani gaye na ubre, Moti Manush choon)
Water is essential for man and nature to survive and its recycling is commendable, making it a life-giver for crops.
In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference.But Dayalbagh has always been a model for others and in this dimension also it has set an example for all..
ReplyDelete“Waste is no less than sin” “Waste nothing” principles have been imbibed in Dayalbagh DNA. How the principle of ‘not to waste a single drop of water’ has been practically implemented at Dayalbagh….
ReplyDeleteRADHASOAMI.
ReplyDeleteExcellent #Water Reuse #management techniques at #Dayalbagh. #RallyForWater because Water is more precious than Gold. Every Citizen should Save, #Recycle and #Reuse it for #availability #sustainability for the #future generations & also to make the #Planet a better place to live. Rain Water Harvesting is also done for Water conservation and Reuse. #RallyForRivers
RADHASOAMI.
It's incredible how simple solutions can make such a big difference in today's world where rainfall patterns have drastically changed & temperatures are rising. Rainfall seasons are no longer predictable as they used to be.
ReplyDeleteWater is simply too precious to waste
ReplyDelete