A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
STUDY REPORT
for DRDO GRANTS – IN – AID PROJECT
Titled
A STUDY ON SELF SUFFICIENCY IN WATER REQUIRMENT AT AIR FORCE STATION, PALAM AND ROAD MAP FOR CREATING WATER SECURITY FOR THE SAME’.
By Forum For Organised Resource Conservation and Enhancement
(FORCE)
New Delhi
January 2008.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Page No. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------INTRODUCTION 1 Delhi Water Scenario 2 Need for Project 3 OBJECTIVES
4
MEHTODOLOGY
5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
6
OBSERVATIONS
7
DEMAND SCENARIO
7
SUPPLY SCENARIO
9
WATER SECURITY CONCERNS Demand Supply Gap Unsustainable Groundwater Extraction Increasing Demand-Supply Gap
11 11 12 15
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CREATING SUSTAINABLE WATER SECURITY 16 INTERNAL WATER ASSETS SUPPLY AUGMENTATION Rainwater Harvesting Waste Water Recycling Total Sustainable Supply
17 19 19 22 24
SUSTAINABILITY AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT
25
Sustainability guidelines
25
Water Saving with demand management in horticulture
31
Demand Management in households
32
CONSERVATION MEASURES ALREADY ADOPTED AT AFSP
33
CONCLUSIONS
Annexure 1 Annexure 2
34
35 36
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
INTRODUCTION Viewed from space the Earth may still be seen as the “Blue Planet” but to the residents of the earth
it
seems to be turning brown and parched. Of the vast reservoirs of water ninety seven percent is saline and in oceans. This is also the portion that dominates the view from space and is responsible for the name which is beginning to sound a misnomer in the present water scarce scenario of the world. Of the three percent fresh water two percent is locked in the Polar ice caps, and the balance one percent exists as ground water, surface water, soil moisture and water vapour. Of the total water available on Earth only 0.06 percent is available to us that is both fresh and accessible i.e in rivers, lakes an d groundwater.
ONLY 3%
79% ICE CAPS & GLACIERS
1% EASILY 1) 52% LAKES ACCESIBLE 2) 38% SOIL MOISTURE FRESHWATER 3) 8% WAT VAPOUR 4) 1% RIVERS 5) 1% MOISTURE IN PLANTS
OF ALL WATER 20% GROUND WATER
1
2 345
FRESH WATER AVAILABILITY ON EARTH Although the water volume has been the same since the origin of Earth, many other things have been changing. The global population has been skyrocketing, the water usage has been growing at twice the rate of population increase, demand for more food grains has led to increased requirement of water for agriculture, industrialization needs water to meet its growing needs, modern lifestyles are a guzzler for water. Last but not the least is the threat of global warming which will add to water scarcity by altering
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
water supply patterns. At a global level by 2025 more than six billion of the world population will be living in water stressed conditions.
Therefore water stress is all set to increase as global water demand increases and water supply remains constant, at best (infact it may actually decrease with global warming). The result will be global Water Conflicts. It is now being said, that the NEXT WARS WILL BE FOUGHT FOR WATER.
THE DELHI WATER SCENARIO Delhi is spread over an area of 1483 Sq km. Being the national capital and otherwise a developing metropolitan city it attracts many migrants from all over India looking for higher education, better employment opportunities and superior lifestyles. Everyday thousands are added to its rapidly increasing population. By present estimates Delhi population is close to 1.5 crores
The Present daily demand for water is 990 MGD (Million Gallons per Day). Against this demand DJB supplies 821 MGD. This supply too is dependent on the condition that all Water Treatment Plant (WTP) produce water at their installed capacity. It is also pertinent to remember here that, in spite of huge daily water requirements of the city, it has practically no surface water resources under its control.
Ground water plays a significant role in the city’s water supply. To appreciate the role of ground water in the city’s water supply one has to understand the current state of affairs of water supply in the capital. According to DJB’s own admission its supply falls 20% short o f the daily demand. The pressure of the supply is weak leading to inadequate volumes which are nowhere close to the required need. In addition to this there exists a population of 20 lakh with no access to piped water supply. This shortfall in water supply is being met somehow by the populace to satisfy its thirst for water. Although the number of private legally registered tubewells in Delhi is given as 1,00,000 it is unofficially accepted that the number is close to 3,60,000.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
It is estimated that a mammoth 46% of Delhi’s water supply is being satisfied by groundwater being extracted all over the city and its surrounding areas. What’s more, with projected demand for water continuing to outstrip DJB’s supply plans, the dependence on groundwater is not expected to go down in the coming years.
NEED FOR THE PROJECT As water scarcity increasingly makes its presence felt, the potential for conflicts between user groups and usage types will increase. Each user group will seek to exercise greater control over its water resources and seize a larger share of common water resources. Already, there are innumerable instances of water sharing agreements being flouted / questioned by states and (eg. UP and Delhi; Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) countries (eg. China and India). Conflicts between user groups are also intensifying. Today, industry competes with agriculture for water – there are several news reports about agriculturists rising up against industries put up in their areas on grounds of water table depletion caused by those industries. Rural-urban conflict on water is also intensifying. As urbanization increases, more surface water is being diverted for urban domestic needs whereas rural areas are left to depend on groundwater.
The cantonment areas for the Indian Armed Forces are dependent on either municipal water supplies or on groundwater extracted from their own campus area. In most areas, there is no provision for alternative sources of supply in case of a breakdown / shortfall in water supply from these two sources.
This is a situation fraught with danger. Dependence of critical defence establishments on external sources of water or on non-sustainable groundwater supplies must be avoided.
Therefore, creating ‘WATER SECURITY’ i.e. sustainable self sufficiency for basic water needs is very important. This project tries to create a model of ‘Water Security’ for Palam Air Force Station which can be used as a template to be replicated in Defence establishments across the country.
Immediate steps need to be taken to create Water Security at all levels. Sustainable sources of localized water supply need to be created with water harvesting and water recycling. Simultaneously demand for water has to be decreased by adopting water conservation measures.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT The overall aim of the project is to help Palam Air Force Station achieve sustainable self sufficiency in terms of its water requirements.
The sub objectives are: To assess the water consumption pattern in Air Force Station, Palam in Delhi To devise a strategy for sustainable self-sufficiency in water for the troops and their families stationed in the area. To suggest a road map for bridging the gap between availability of water and requirement within the area. To suggest a generalized blueprint for creating sustainable water self – sufficiency in similar cantonment areas.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
METHODOLOGY The project was executed over a period of eighteen months with Air Force Station, Palam as the study area. Data relating to water usage and supply was requested for from the Air Force Officer Commanding / official deputed by him for assisting FORCE in the project.
The project was carried out as under:
1. Data on water demand was collected. Information about the same was collated using information given by AFSP personnel. 2. The above included a usage – wise break up of water consumption in all areas. This means water used in these areas for domestic purposes, gardening / horticulture, vehicle washing and other general purposes. 3. Data on total water availability and the quantity of water taken from each source of water supply (i.e. DJB supply, tubewells) was also taken. 4. The information gathered was collated to find total domestic water consumption and its break up into broad usage types. 5. From the above, the shortfall in water supply was calculated. 6. The quality of water from the primary source was assessed on the basis of the standard norms for water quality 7. The total availability of groundwater in the area was assessed with the help of Central Groundwater Board. 8. The impact on the water table and water quality due to the amount of water being pumped out presently was calculated. 9. The quantity of sewage and sullage water being generated per day by the station was calculated from the water usage figures available. 10. The degree of contamination in was assessed. 11. The methods for recycling waste water and harvesting rainwater in the area were researched. 12. The data was compiled and remedial measures suggested to augment the availability of water for its inhabitants. This includes a roadmap for water harvesting, recycling and water conservation. 13. On this basis steps that similar areas need to follow to create sustainable water self sufficiency have also been presented.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1) The total current demand for water at AFSP is 23.05 lac cubic metres per year. 2) Of this, residential demand is 46%, horticulture demand is 32%, Office demand is 6%, other miscellaneous demands (fire safety, dhobhi ghats etc) is 3% and unspecified uses / wastages are 13%. 3) The Current water supply within AFSP is 15.27 lakh cubic metres per year 4) Of this, 92% supply is from groundwater extracted from within AFSP and 8% is the water supplied by GE Utilites. 5) There are 21 borewells extracting water from AFSP groundwater. 6)
Of these, 6 borewells extract approximately 5.26 lakh cubic metres per year of water which is supplied to Subroto Park.
7) The current demand-supply gap is 7.78 lakh cubic metres per year which is 33.75% of current demand. 8) This demand-supply gap cannot be filled even if all measures are taken to augment water supply that can be generated from within the AFSP area. 9) The maximum sustainable, renewable, internally generated water supply is 14.16 lakh cubic metres per year( 14.16 LCMY). 10) Of this, 10 LCMY is average annual groundwater recharge because of natural recharge from open areas and artificial recharge to groundwater using rainwater harvesting. 11) The Rainwater Harvesting plan for AFSP has been given by Central Groundwater Board. AFSP has already starting constructing rainwater harvesting structures as per the designs given in the plan. 12) AFSP can get 4.16 LCMY of treated waste-water if it sets up a waster water recycling unit in its premises to treat its internally generated sewage. This water can be used for horticulture and cleaning requirements.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
OBSERVATIONS DEMAND SCENARIO
Air Force Station at Palam in New Delhi is spread over approximately 666 acres. Broadly speaking it can be divided into four quadrants. The approximate area of the different quadrants is: first quadrant - 100 acres, second quadrant - 200 acres, third quadrant - 200 acres and fourth quadrant is of 166 acres. All quadrants have different water requirements. Each quadrant has a sizeable green area as a result of which the station has a high requirement of water for horticulture purposes.
The station has been heavily dependent on its ground water right from its inception. Apart for water requirement for domestic, horticulture and official uses, each quadrant also has a water reservoir for fire emergency.
TOTAL DEMAND The total demand for water in the station is as follows:
Daily demand (LPD-Ltrs /day)
Yearly demand (LCMY -Lac cu. mtr / yr)
Source of water
63,15,400 LPD
23.05 LCMY
Ground water & G E Utility
The distribution of water demand between the four quadrants is as follows:
Water demand
Quadrant 1 10,41,385 LPD
Quadrant 2 4,36,490 LPD
Quadrant 3 22,97,386 LPD
Quadrant 4 13,62,142 LPD
USAGE WISE WATER DEMAND DISTRIBUTION AFSP uses water for the following broad purposes:
1) Residential - The campus has a residential population of close to fourteen thousand people. Residential division includes married as well as single accommodation .It also comprises demand for the upcoming Married Accommodation Project. The water requirement for domestic purposes is calculated as per Delhi Jal Board norms of 225 litres per person per day. Residential demand comprises 46% of the total demand of the campus.
2) Horticulture - Maintaining sports grounds, gardens; residential and public, as well as greenery in open spaces is essential for every organization. Horticulture division includes water demand for the above purposes. It forms 32% of the total water demand of the campus.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
3) Offices - Many offices are a part of the AFSP. It also has numerous utility offices and schools. The daily demand is calculated at a standard requirement of 45 litres per person. This amounts to 6% of the total demand of the campus.
4) Miscellaneous - Miscellaneous division includes water demand for Fire exercise, Dhobi ghat (mass washing of clothes) and vehicles maintenance. It accounts for 3% of the total demand.
5) Extraction and Distribution losses – There are some unaccounted for losses in water supplied. These losses are due to water leakage / process losses during extraction and distribution of water/buffers built into calculations. Together these cause a loss of 13% of the total water demand.
The table and chart below give Water demand distribution under each of the above broad divisions
Division name
Daily requirement
Yearly requirement
Percentage
(LPD-Ltrs. /day)
(LCMY -Lac cu. mtr / yr)
Residential
28,90,960 LPD
10.55 LCMY
Horticulture
20,00,366 LPD
7.30 LCu mt py
32%
Offices
3,66,700 LPD
1.34 LCu mt py
06%
Miscellaneous
1,70,785 LPD
0.62 LCu mt py
03%
Extraction, Distribution losses
8,86,589 LPD
3.24 LCu mt py
13%
46%
WATER DEMAND DISTRIBUTION
14%
3%
Residential
6%
45%
Horticulture Offices Miscell losses
32%
Significant features of water demand of the campus •
The maximum usage of water is for residential purposes.
•
The maximum water demand is in Quadrant three, followed by Quadrants four, one and two respectively.
•
The demand for horticulture needs is substantial i.e. 32% of the total water requirement.
•
Distribution losses (13%) are significant.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
SUPPLY SCENARIO TOTAL WATER SUPPLY *Includes groundwater extraction for Subroto Park
Water supply*
SUPPLY PER DAY
SUPPLY PER YEAR
Source
41,86,000 Ltrs/Day
15.27 Lakh Cu m./ yr
Ground water & G E Utility
SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY Of the above, 57, 69,400 LPD is sourced from ground water and 5,46,000 LPD is supplied by the cantonments’ centralized water distribution service i.e. G E Utility Services. SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY
8%
GE UTILITY TUBEWELLS
92%
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF THE WATER SUPPLY The AFSP has a very well managed centralized water distribution system that supplies 41,86,000 litres per day within the area . A common supply line supplies water to quadrants I, II and IV. Supply line of Quadrant three is independent of the common supply line.
The Quadrant wise distribution of water supply is as given below Quadrant 1 Water supply
8,00,800 LPD
Quadrant 2
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4
14,56,000 LPD
12,37,600 LPD
16,01,600 LPD
As mentioned earlier, there are two sources of water viz. Ground water (extracted through tubewells) and External supply water (sourced from outside the campus through GE Utility Services). All the supply water is stored in eight underground reservoirs spread across AFSP. Centrifugal pumps are used to pump this water through the supply lines for distribution across AFSP. Water that is sourced from G E Utility, being of limited quantity, is supplied only within Quadrant I.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
92 % of the water supply is from ground water which is extracted by twenty one servicing borewells at present. These borewells are distributed throughout the campus though the concentration is more in quadrants III and II. The maximum supply is in Quadrant four, followed by Quadrants two, three and one respectively. All the bore wells are attached to the main supply line.
The average rate of yield of each borewell is approximately 15,015 litres per hour. Each borewell runs for approximate sixteen hours everyday to fulfill the water requirement of AFSP.
There are nine dry borewells in the campus, two of which have run dry during the course of the present study. Drying of tubewells is a source of concern because of the overwhelming dependence of AFSP on groundwater.
In addition to the above mentioned eight Underground Reservoirs, there is one underground reservoir in the campus which draws water from the campus and supplies outside the campus.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
WATER SECURITY CONCERNS DEMAND-SUPPLY GAP As evident from the figure, there is a substantial gap between the demand for water at AFSP and the currentsupply.
TOTAL DD – 23.05 Lac Cu.m./ yr
TOTAL SP – 15.27 Lac Cu.m./ yr
Miscellaneous 0.62 LCMY (3%) Tubewells 14.05 LCMY (92%)
Offices 1.34 LCMY (6%) Extrn, distn losses 3.24 LCMY (13%)
GE Utility – 1.22 LCMY (8%)
Horticulture, sports grnd 7.30 LCMY (32%) Residential 10.55 LCMY(46%)
Demand Supply Gap 7.78 LCMY
= 34% of dd A quadrant wise break-up of the demand and supply is given in the table and chart below. Quadrant 1 Water demand Water supply Excess/Short supply
Quadrant 2
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 4
10,41,385 LPD
4,36,490 LPD
22,97,386 LPD
13,62,142 LPD
8,00,800 LPD
14,56,000 LPD
12,37,600 LPD
16,01,600 LPD
-2,40,585 LPD
10,19,510 LPD
-10,59,786 LPD
2,39,458 LPD
DEMAND SUPPLY SITUATION IN EACH QUADRANT
2500000 2000000 1500000 1000000 AMT. IN LPD
500000
DEMAND SUPPLY
0
EXCESS -500000 -1000000 -1500000 I
II
III
IV
QUADRANT
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
Significant Features Of Quadrant Wise Water Distribution
•
There is a mismatch between quadrants with high water supply and high water demand. Though the maximum water demand is in Quadrant three, followed by Quadrants four, one and two respectively, the maximum supply through tubewells is in Quadrant four, followed by Quadrants two, three and one respectively.
•
Quadrant two has excessive supply relative to its needs and quadrant four has comfortable surplus. But quadrant three has an acute water scarcity compared to its needs and quadrant one is also experiencing shortage.
UNSUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION
92% of the water supply of AFSP is groundwater extracted from within the station area. Apart from groundwater extraction for supply within the station, a substantial amount of water is also being extracted to supply to Subroto Park (another cantonment establishment situated next to AFSP).
Total Groundwater Extraction
GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION
LAC CUBIC METRE PER YEAR
AFSP
14.05 LCMY
For Subroto Park* Total extraction
5.26 LCMY 19.31 LCMY
* Since the scope of the project was to study the sustainability of water supply for AFSP, the groundwater extraction being done for Subroto Park has not been included in the sustainability calculations. The above figure has been given to draw attention to this additional, substantial quantity of groundwater withdrawal. The AFSP authorities must take measures to either reduce this extraction or to take compensatory waste-water from Subroto Park which can be recycled and used by the AFSP residents.
A quadrant wise break-up of approximate groundwater extraction is given below:
Groundwater extraction
Quadrant I
Quadrant II
Quadrant III
Quadrant IV
LCMY
LCMY
LCMY
LCMY
2.92
5.31
4.51
5.84
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
Significant features of water extraction in the campus •
The total estimated withdrawal of ground water per day comes to an enormous 65,37,440 LPD .
•
21 borewells at an average yield of 15, 015 litres per hour running sixteen hours a day mine close to 50,96,000 LPD.
•
Of this there are six more bore wells running at the same rate and providing 14,41,440 LPD outside the campus. 22 % of the entire water extracted is for use outside the campus.
•
Concentration of tubewells (including those supplying outside AFSP) is maximum in Quadrant III.
•
The maximum number of dried tubewells is also in Quadrant III. Perhaps that is because of the high rate of cumulative extraction from that area since all the tubewells work simultaneously and draw water from the same / connected aquifers.
•
Maximum water drawn is from Quadrant four followed by Quadrants two, three and one respectively.
Declining Water Table AFSP has been overwhelmingly dependent on its groundwater since the time of its inception. The extraction has been need based and no analysis has been done so far to find out the sustainable rate of groundwater extraction. Sustainable annual rate of extraction will be that rate that is less than or equal to the rate of annual replenishment of groundwater reserves due to groundwater recharge from rainwater.
(Natural groundwater recharge occurs when water that falls on unpaved (kuccha) surfaces seeps into the soil. Part of the water stays in the upper layers of the soil where it adds to soil moisture. It is used by plants to sustain themselves and also adds to air moisture due to the continuous process of evaporation or evapo-transpiration (loss of moisture from leaves as a part of the process of making food). The rest of water slowly seeps further down and finally adds to the underground aquifers in that area. An aquifer is that layer of the soil which is saturated with water and hence has the capacity to yield water when cut into (as in a borewell). The depth below ground level from where an aquifer begins is called the Water Table of the area. There could be multiple aquifers in an area that are at varying depths and are separated by impervious rock layers. As more and more water is extracted from an aquifer, the saturated layer decreases in height and hence the water table of the area goes down. In many cases, shallow aquifers go completely dry and deep borewells have to be remade to penetrate the deeper aquifers. Since water percolates into the soil very slowly, the deep aquifers actually contain water that has been accumulated over thousands of years.)
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
The groundwater extraction rate at AFSP is much more than their rate of annual recharge to groundwater. As per calculations made by Central Groundwater Authority, the maximum annual recharge to groundwater at AFSP can be 10 Lac Cubic Metres per year. This too will be possible if the AFSP implements scientifically planned and well maintained rainwater harvesting and makes sure that any surplus rainwater runoff is diverted to unpaved areas ( for absorption into the ground).
Infact, current groundwater extraction figures are a massive 60% more than the sustainable yield of the groundwater available in the campus. The figures below give quadrant wise break-up of sustainable groundwater yield, actual extraction being done. The difference between the two gives the extraction from reserves that have been built up over several thousand years. Quadrant I
Quadrant II
Quadrant III
Quadrant IV
LCMY
LCMY
LCMY
LCMY
Sustainable Yield
1.41
2.82
2.34
2.82
Total Current Withdrawal
2.92
5.31
4.51
5.84
Withdrawal Fm G/W Reserves
1.51
2.49
2.17
3.02
This withdrawal from reserves leads to a lowering of the water table and is unsustainable in the long run. Also, as the depth of water table increases, usually the quality of groundwater also tends to deteriorate. The percentage of sustainable extraction as compared to extraction from non-replenishible reserves is given in the chart below. PERCENTAGE OVER EXTRACTION FROM GROUNDWATER RESERVES
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% %
50%
RESERVE EXPLOITATION
40%
SUSTAINABLE EXTRACTION
30% 20% 10% 0% I
II
III
IV
QUADRANT
As can be seen from the above figure, almost double the replenishable groundwater reserves are being extracted in each quadrant.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
INCREASING DEMAND SUPPLY GAP
Not only is current supply less than demand, the gap between the two is likely to increase in the coming years.
•
The campus has 9 dried tube-wells of which 2 have dried in the course of this study. This is a drying up rate of almost 10% which is worrying. It also needs to be kept in mind that apart from the tubewells that have dried up, there would have been a lessening of the extractable water column in all the tubewells. The yield from all tubewells would have therefore decreased.
•
Even now, GE Utilities releases only 2,25,000 lpd of water for AFSP which is 42% of the allocated amount. This is because they themselves do not have enough water to distribute to all. With increasing pressure of population, increasing rate of depletion of groundwater, this scarcity will only increase.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
RECOMMENDATIONS for CREATING SUSTAINABLE WATER SECURITY Sustainable water security can be created by adopting any of three strategies:
1) Adopt water conservation methods to reduce demand so that it is lesser than or equal to current sustainable groundwater availability from within the AFSP area. 2) Adopt Water Supply Augmentation methods to increase sustainable water supply so that it matches the demand 3) Use water harvesting and recycling technologies to maximize sustainable water supply from within AFSP and adopt demand management measures to ensure that demand remains equal to or less than that level.
Of the three strategies, the third strategy is most appropriate and realistic.
The first is impractical because the rate of natural groundwater recharge is very low (approx 1 LCMY). It is not possible to reduce demand to that low a level
For AFSP, the second strategy too is not possible because, even if internal sustainable water supply is maximized through use of water harvesting and recycling technologies, it will still not be able to match the current demand for water.
Hence the third strategy, which uses a mix of both supply augmentation and demand reduction is necessary to achieve a sustainable water balance for AFSP.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
INTERNAL WATER ASSETS As compared to civilian areas, AFSP has a number of assets that it can use to create a sustainable water balance within its area. The figure below lists down those assets:
Large area – 666 Acres -High Rainwater Harvesting potential
Efficient water supply system -Centralized water supply -Multiple reservoirs -Control over supply
Waste water available– -Internal lines for sewage -Space available for STP -Huge internal demand for treated Waste Water
Disciplined, socially aware force - Willing to adopt water conservation -Efficient maintenance of RWH & recycling systems
On the Supply Augmentation side, the advantages that AFSP has are:
1) Large Area – AFSP is spread over a large area (as compared to a civilian area housing a similar population). This entire campus is well maintained with a good balance between paved and unpaved areas. There is a clean, well maintained storm-water drainage system throughout the colony which carries the rainwater runoff from the area. This stormwater drainage system is an important asset from the point of view of rainwater harvesting. They being the primary conduits for rainwater, present a readymade, neat mechanism of collecting and storing rainwater from all over AFSP 2) Waste Water Availability – AFSP has a well planned sewerage system. The sewage from each dwelling / working unit in the station is taken via a sewage pipeline outside the campus area. The trunk sewer line that carries the sewage of the entire AFSP passes through the station area. This again is an asset that can be used as a readily available source of waste-water for use in the recycling plant. It presents an opportunity for augmenting local supply of treated water.
On the demand management side, the advantages that AFSP has are:
1) Efficient Water Supply System – AFSP has a well planned and managed internal water supply system. This system consists of a network of reservoirs, tubewells and conduit lines which takes
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
water to every water consumption unit on campus. The system is continuously monitored and maintained by GE personnel. Special attention is also taken to ensure that the quality of supply water is as per their internal standards.
Since the system is closely monitored, leakages and inefficiencies can be detected and rectified at the earliest. Also, any suggestions to improve distribution efficiency can be holistically implemented at all points in the network. Controls – such as limits on timing of water supply or areas of supply can also be put in place easily.
On the supply augmentation side too, because this network has multiple points at which fresh water can be introduced, it offers the flexibility of adding harvested/recycled to the water supply specifically in deficit areas. The costs associated with creating a parallel network for distribution of recycled water , if needed, will also be lesser.
2) Disciplined Socially Aware Force – The armed forces personnel are educated, aware of groundlevel realities across the country, are disciplined and have a strong ‘service to society’ orientation. This is perhaps their biggest asset. If they are convinced about the importance of conserving water, they will be able to implement all supply augmentation and demand management measures better than any other user group.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
SUPPLY AUGMENTATION RAINWATER HARVESTING
About Rainwater Harvesting Simply put, Rainwater Harvesting is the process of catching and storing rainwater where it falls. When rain falls over an area, part of it is absorbed by the surface it falls on and part of it flows off as ‘Runoff’ into nullahs, streams and rivers. Rainwater Harvesting is a method to prevent this surplus runoff from flowing out of the watershed area. With Rainwater Harvesting techniques, the runoff can be stored in tanks for direct use or can be diverted to underground aquifers for recharge of groundwater reserves. In Delhi, rainwater harvesting is usually done to artificially recharge groundwater.
Rainwater Harvesting in Delhi, usually involves creating a system of conduits to carry the surplus runoff to a suitable location where it is cleaned / filtered and then taken to the subsurface active aquifer in the area using dugwells / borewells. The diagram below shows how rainwater harvesting can be done using the borewell of a handpump.
RECHARGE THROUGH HANDPUMP
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
Artificial recharge to groundwater with rainwater harvesting leads to a rise in the water and an improvement in the quality of groundwater. It also helps save on the electricity cost of pumping water. The type, number, size, and borewell depth of a Rainwater Harvesting plan depends on the rainfall pattern, the total catchment area and the hydrogeological conditions prevalent in the area.
Rainwater Harvesting at AFSP On the recommendation and with help from the inputs given by FORCE, Central Groundwater Board has provided AFSP with the rainwater harvesting plan for the station. The plan is designed to ensure that maximum possible surplus runoff from the station is used for recharging the groundwater of AFSP.
The total rainwater harvesting potential for artificial recharge to groundwater of AFSP is nine lac cubic metres per year (9 LCMY). Apart from that, natural recharge will contribute approx one lac cubic metres per year to the groundwater. The calculation is as follows: Area of the campus Volume of rainfall
666 Acres/ 26,10,720 sq mts 26,10,720 x .700 mts (average annual rainfall)
Hence Volume of rainfall in the campus
15,95,149 Cubic mt per year
Rain water harvesting potential of the campus
15, 95,149 x 0.6 (runoff-coefficient) 9.39 L Cu mt per yr
Residual volume of rainfall
15, 95,149 – 9, 39, 089 = 6, 56,060 Cu mt
*10% percolation of 6, 56,060 Cu mt
= .65 L Cu mt
(It is estimated that 10% of rainfall percolates to aquifers for groundwater recharge) Total amount of groundwater available annually
9.39 + .65 = 10.04 L Cu mt
* Check given in Annexure 1. Hence, total annual recharge to groundwater that is possible at AFSP
- 10 LCMY.
However, this recharge will be possible only if the rainwater harvesting plan suggested by Central Groundwater Authority is implemented completely. Special care would have to be taken that all the surplus runoff from AFSP is directed into the rainwater harvesting structures.
The complete RWH plan and design of each rainwater harvesting structure is available with the AFSP authorities. The diagram below gives the approximate location of the recommended RWH structures.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
Quadrant IV
Quadrant I
Quadrant II
Working TW Dried TW TW for Subroto Park Ongoing RWH project
Quadrant III
Proposed RWH str.
As can be seen from the above diagram, the rainwater harvesting structures are located all over AFSP. Most of these are connected to the storm water drains and are placed at points where the drains collect a substantial amount of rainwater. Many of them are also located in the immediate vicinity of the working tubewells. This is an added advantage because those tubewells will benefit the most from groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting. The diagram below gives the indicative design of a typical rainwater harvesting structure.
Desilting chamber and Filtration
Inflow from catchments
Borehole for recharge Aquifer
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
WASTE-WATER RECYCLING Waste water is as valuable a resource as fresh water in the present times. This is because; treating waste water is the only method by which we can augment the supply of naturally available fresh water.
Discharge of waste water is a natural consequence of water supply to communities and organizations. The quantity of waste water is dependent on the quantity of water supplied. For domestic use in households and offices, the percentage of waste water generated is taken as 75% of water supplied.
Waste Water Availability At AFSP AFSP has the advantage of a well laid out sewerage system that collects the waste water from all household / office units and carries them via a pipeline to the DJB Sewerage Treatment plant outside the campus area.
The total waste water generated and carried by this system is estimated to be 75% of the total water made available for domestic use (including household and office use). All waste water figures are calculated after subtracting the demand for non discharge areas like horticulture and fire exercise (since no part of the water supplied for these activities is returned back to the sewerage system as waste water). Of the total waste water available, the recommended treatment process will manage to make 75% available as treated water (‘NEW’ water) which can be used for B-grade purposes such as horticulture, vehicle cleaning etc.
The table and figure below give the waste water availability and NEW Water potential at AFSP.
Present water situation
Daily (LPD)
Yearly (LCMY)
Water supply
41,86,000
15.27
Estimated Waste water availability
15,21,784
5.55
11,41,338
4.16
(75% of domestic water use) Estimated Treated water availability (75% of waste water available)
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
NEW WATER POTENTIAL Waste Water available 5.55 LCMY Treated water available 4.16 LCMY
Significant features of the waste water system •
Waste water availability keeps fluctuating according to the variations in supply.
•
Demand areas like horticulture and fire exercise do not discharge waste water.
•
The waste water availability is 75% of supply and treated water is again 75% of waste water.
•
Waste water from Quadrants I, II and III goes into the main sewage trunk line.
•
Quadrant IV has a sewage treatment plant.
•
There are ten points at which the waste water of the complex goes into the main trunk line of sewage. These are points at which waste water can be tapped for the purpose of treatment.
•
The maximum waste water is available for treatment in Quadrant III just before the waste water goes out of the campus. The internal sewage trunk line is fed by the sewage water from Quadrants I and III. This internal line then meets the main trunk line on the peripheral wall of Quadrant III where it also gets water from Quadrant II. This site is close to the Old Domestic Pump House in the Camp Area.
The figure below gives approximate sewage system of AFSP and the proposed site for the Waste Water Treatment Unit.
Quadrant I
Quadrant IV
Quadrant II Water line Sewer line
Quadrant III
Recycling plant Waste Water Input
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
Sewage Treatment Plant The Feasibility Report on Sewage / Waste Water Treatment System (STP) at AFSP and the proposed design details of the unit has been prepared by experts in the field. Their report has been appended as Annexure . A modular design for the STP has been suggested so that the waste water treatment quantity and quality can be upgraded as required.
A combination of anaerobic
(Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor – UASB) and aerobic (Submerged Aerobic Fixed Film Reactor – SAFF) process systems have been considered for the biological secondary treatment of the sewage.
With the help of this STP it will be possible for AFSP to get an additional 4.16 lac cu.m. per year of treated waste water for use in the station. The current treatment system suggested in the STP can treat waste water to a level where it can safely be used for horticulture, vehicle cleaning etc.
TOTAL SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY The total sustainable water supply i.e. the amount of water that AFSP can get from its own station area every year without reducing its reserves of groundwater is 14.16 lac cu. m. per yr. This is the total of its renewable groundwater resource available and ‘New’ water. This amount is almost equal to the current supply which is 15.27 lac cu.m. per yr.
The usage of this sustainable supply of water can be planned as follows:
GROUNDWATER
- 10 LCMY
-
Can be used for domestic demand
‘NEW’ WATER
- 4.16 LCMY
-
Can be used for horticulture and toilets/cleaning.
The current domestic demand is 10.55 LCMY. The station needs to use water conservation methods to bring the demand down to less than 10 LCMY. Also, stress has to be laid on methodical, complete Rainwater Harvesting to harness this entire potential
The current horticulture demand is 7.30 LCMY which is much more than the 4.16 LCMY of treated waste water that is available. However, water conserving gardening products and practices can bring this demand down to 3.57 LCMY. The remaining ‘New’ water can be used for cleaning etc
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
SUSTAINABILITY AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT To achieve sustainability so that the campus can have an independent water system for its needs without relying on any outside help it has to work simultaneously in all area related to creating water sustainability.
Sustainability Guidelines Water sustainability concepts encompass the following ideas •
Reduce overall use of water.
•
Match water quality with appropriate use.
•
Ensure highest quality of groundwater.Maintain water quality through prevention rather than treatment.
•
Raise awareness about water sustainability among the citizens of the campus.
•
Engage the citizens in dialogue about water management challenges using a meaningful participation process.
•
Create infrastructure to support water sustainability measures.
•
Create and maintain effective leadership, management and monitoring of the sustainability mechanism.
Reduce overall use of water
A very obvious solution that comes to mind when ever there is shortage of something is to reduce the use of that particular item. Water being such an essential need the thought of reducing its use at first may be alarming as it is crucial to our life, health, cleanliness and general well being. But there are ways to decrease its use while not affecting the quality of daily life. Some suggestions are given below.
General 1. Minimize distribution losses. 2. Eliminate all leakages in the supply system. Regular stringent checks to ensure leak proof water supply system. 3. Install water efficient appliances 4. Install tap aerators all over the campus.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
Domestic - Family 1. Discuss the importance and need of conserving water as a family. 2. Set a shared goal of following the tips that are decided upon. 3. Alternatively set a goal in the number of litres that each one is going to save by following the water saving tips. 4. Let the parents be an example to motivate children. 5. Ask grand parents to relate incidents/stories depicting the cultural significance of water to grandchildren. Kitchen 1. Explain the need of using less water to the house help. 2. To support this reduce the water flow to kitchen tap. 3. Water used to wash vegetables and dals etc should be kept for reuse at the appropriate need. 4. Ask all family members to keep one glass each for drinking water through out the day so no water is wasted in washing repeatedly. 5. Try to wash several utensils together rather then washing two or three at a time. 6. Serve only half glasses of water to guests, along with a small water jug for any one who needs to have more. Bathroom 1. Use a six litre toilet water tank. Or place a two litre container in the toilet tank so that water holding capacity of the tank is reduced by two litres. 2. Do not use the toilet as a dustbin to avoid flushing repeatedly. 3. Use medium size buckets which contain about 15 litres to have bath. 4. Keep the tap closed while brushing teeth, shaving or washing hands. Make use of a mug to do so. 5. Take out as much water as you need in the buckets as the next person may not want to use the left over water. Washing 1. Explain the need to conserve water to your help. 2. Demonstrate how to wash clothes using less water to your help. 3. Use detergents that do not foam much but clean efficiently. 4. Use the rinsed water for washing balconies, driveway or cleaning floors. 5. When using a washing machine run the machine only when you have a full load. 6. Clean cars and other personal vehicles with a bucket, water mug and cloth. Gardening 1. Water the plants in the evening after the sun has gone down. This will help in lowering evaporation.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
2. Use the kitchen water (water used to wash vegetables, dals, boil eggs vegetables) to water the plants. 3. Cover the top soil of the pots with moss as it helps retain moisture for a longer time period. 4. Water the plants using a bucket and mug rather than pipe. 5. Do not bathe the plants frequently.
Horticulture Horticulture and sports ground consume a large quantity of water. Efficient and smart use of water can a go a long way in maintaining grounds and parks to add to the beauty of the campus as well as add a desired dimension for a superior and healthy lifestyle. To make the best use of available water resource following guidelines are suggested. 1. Use sprinklers to water sports grounds as well parks and other open areas. This reduces water use by 40 %. 2. Do not water lawn on windy days as it increases evaporation and transpiration. 3. Try the foot print test on grass .Press your foot on the grass if it bounces back it does not need water yet. 4. Calculate how long it will take to water a particular patch and keep on shifting or closing the sprinkler at the appropriate time. 5. Change watering schedules according to change in season. Winters and monsoons will require less water. 6. Grow plants that require less water but remain green and are easy to maintain. 7. Group plants with similar watering needs together so that under watering or over watering is avoided 8. Use mulch wherever possible. A good mulch helps lessen requirement of watering by reducing the amount of moisture which evaporates from the soil by up to 70%. It also reduces weed population and prevents soil compaction. Compost and wood chips can be used as effective mulches. 9. Grassy plots should be mowed three inches high. This helps in retaining moisture in the soil and decreases water use. 10. Create capability within the campus personnel by sending them for advanced training in horticulture maintenance in water efficient ways.
Match water quality with appropriate use
Fresh water is a valuable resource which should be used only for our life sustaining needs. Efforts should be made to match the water usage purpose with water quality.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
The campus has the ability of generating 15 lac litres of treated water every day. This capability is matched by suitable options to use that water. The treated water could be used for the following 1. The treated water can be used for sports grounds and horticulture. 2. It can be used for toilet flushing in residences and all office complexes. 3. It can be used for fire exercise as well as stored in fire safety reservoirs. 4. It can be used for washing vehicles. 5. It can be used in AC plant.
Ensure highest quality of groundwater The campus sustainability is based on the premise that it will use its own groundwater resources for life sustaining needs. It is imperative that the ground water is of highest quality. To maintain and improve that water quality is an integral part of the water sustainability paradigm. Following measures are suggested 1. Reduce use of fertilizers in horticulture as well as residential gardening. 2. Formulate guidelines for proper disposal of painting materials, malba (during renovation or repainting of buildings). 3. Formulate and implement guidelines for proper removal of grease, oil, petroleum products in vehicle maintenance area. 4. Formulate and implement guidelines for correct discarding of electronic waste.
Maintain water quality through prevention rather than treatment For achieving sustainability the campus has to rely on both its ground water as well as treated water. Treating water is an expensive proposition. Efforts can be made to ensure that the waste water that is discharged is less polluted. Since residents pollute water it is in their hands to lessen the degree of contaminating the water they discharge as waste water. Equally important is the need for considering demand norms for various activities. This would help in conserving and building water reserves. Some recommendations follow. 1. Deliberate on demand side options. Consider all norms, carrying out revisions and reductions where ever possible. 2. Conduct water audits for all activities. Have house hold water audits, office complex water audits, garden watering audits, vehicle washing audits, washing audits for dhobis and so on. 3. Incorporate water considerations in all new projects and activities. 4. Emphasize protection and cleanliness of all rain water harvesting recharge structures as they are the instrument of supplementing the groundwater.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
5. Ensure cleanliness and sanitation of all rainfall catchment areas to make sure that clean water is recharged through the recharge structures. 6. Inspect and identify all dried tube wells and see if any can be revived. 7. Build a ground water tube well network. Use various tube wells in turn to avoid overdrawing from any one area.
Raise awareness about water sustainability among the citizens of the campus. Dealing successfully with a subject like sustainable use of a vital resource is effective when it occupies the heart and mind of the people of the organization. People need to know why they are required to do something. To get the involvement of all the citizens they need to be made aware of the situation and also the importance of their own role in it. It is going to be the cumulative impact of their attitude and actions that will ensure that water sustainability takes place.
To ensure this awareness the campus needs to make the most of its strength and that is their Ladies Organization. The ladies understand the significance of this resource and are the motivators, who will start the process right where it needs to be started from the home. They have the capability to take the message to all levels and also the perseverance to make it happen.
Engage the citizens in dialogue about water management challenges using a meaningful participation process. 1. Organize awareness programs for ladies to expand there knowledge of all issues involved in the sustainability process 2. Support the ladies in carrying out further awareness initiatives in the campus. 3. Create a knowledge counter where all information regarding water is available. This can include models demonstrating rain water harvesting, water cycle in nature, soil make up of the campus, conservation efforts within the campus, water saving tips, interesting news items relating to water in the city , news items from the world. 4.
Encourage participation by individuals to come up with ideas which may be more suited to local conditions.
5. Contemplate having a local water newsletter or an e-news letter to keep everybody informed and involved. 6. Aim at being a pioneer and state of the art water sustainability program which can be a role model to others.
Create infrastructure to support water sustainability measures. To ensure that water sustainability measures produce results an infrastructure needs to be created and maintained. This infrastructure is not only physical, but also human and environmental.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
1. Completion of the rain water harvesting project in totality. This will ensure that all the rainwater is harvested. 2. Construction of water treatment plant to increase availability of water. 3. Construction of water reservoir to hold treated water. 4. Dual piping to all residences and official buildings so that treated water can be used for appropriate needs. 5. Water generation as part of natures’ process has the environment as its infrastructure. The same needs to be replicated within the campus. Grow trees and plants which will help in soil conservation and attract rains in the monsoons.
Create and maintain effective leadership, management and monitoring of the sustainability mechanism. Water sustainability is a goal for which commitment has to be there at all levels. This commitment and the need for continuity of effort have to be transmitted to incoming personnel. Since a great deal of work is required to initiate and implement such a project in terms of infrastructure building, capacity building, community awareness, financial
and manpower commitment , the implementation and continuation
process requires regular monitoring to ensure that it is heading in the planned direction. Suggested measures:
1. Commitment, to the aim of achieving water sustainability, on paper and in practice by the top officials. 2. Create a position as chief of water sustainability program. The appointee to actively monitor all aspects of the program. 3. The officer in charge is of seniority that he is able to highlight the challenges faced by the program and make it work. 4. Required training of the personnel looking after the sustainability program for a better understanding of the needs and dynamics of the program. 5. Establish bench marks of the current state of the system for desired comparison to future conditions. E.g. the depth at which groundwater is found now, the volume of groundwater withdrawn, the volume of water recharged annually, water audit of present use of water, conservation practices in use, present use of waste water, and so on. 6. Detect change or weakness in the system. 7. Evaluate the effectiveness of the program and measure progress towards goals at regular intervals. 8. Identify changes in the bench mark indicators that result from water sustainability actions.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
9. Maintain regular communication regarding changes due to sustainability program to the campus population. 10. Last but not the least water sustainability program should be an important composite of budgetary allocations.
Water Savings With Demand Management in Horticulture Demand management for horticulture needs Current Daily demand
- 20, 00,366 lpd
Yearly demand
- 7.30 L Cu mt
Watering with sprinkler system can save 40% of the demand Daily demand with sprinkler system
- 12, 00,220 lpd
Yearly demand
- 4.38 L Cu mt
Yearly savings
- 2.92 L Cu mt
Savings by proactive management for horticulture The rate of evaporation and humidity level of the atmosphere varies in different parts of the year. These can be used to assess the frequency of watering needed by plants in each month. The relevant data for Delhi is given in Annexure . On the basis of this data, the frequency of watering required may be calculated as follows:
January There are 1.2 rainy days, and average rainfall is 14.5 mm .There are also close to 15 foggy days. Watering may be required for only 15 days . Water required maybe
- 0 12, 00, 220 lpd x15 - i.e. 18,003 kilo litres or 18,003 Cu mt.
Similarly , Water required in Feb
- 18,003 Cu mt
Water required in July
- 18,003 Cu mt
Water required in August
- 18,003 Cu mt
Water required in Sep
- 9,601 Cu mt
Therefore total yearly savings by planning season specific watering is 81,613 Cu mt Total yearly savings by sprinkler and season watering
-
3.73 L Cu mt
Hence from current Horticulture demand of 7.30 LCMY, it can be reduced to 3.57 LCMY.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
Demand Management in Households The table below gives the reduction in water consumption per usage if the given conservation methods are adopted.
Activity
Method Adopted
Qty. used Method to be Adopted Qty. reqd. litres
Brushing
Qty.saved
litres
litres
Running Tap for 5 Min
45
Tumbler or Glass
0.5
44.5
Running Tap for 2 Min
18
Half filled wash basin
2.0
16.0
Shaving
Running Tap for 2 Min
18
Shaving mug
0.25
17.75
Shower
Letting Shower run
90
Wet down, tap off, soap
20.00
70.00
teeth Washing Hands
while soaping staying
up, rinse off.
under shower too long Flushing
Using old fashioned
13.5 or,
Dual system short flushes 4.5
toilet
large capacity Cistern
more
liquid waste, full flush
4.5 or more
9.0
solid waste. Watering
Running hose for 5
Plants
minutes
Washing
Running hose for 5
Floor
minutes
Washing
Running hose for 10
Car
minutes
120
Water can
5.0
115.00
200
Mop and bucket
18.0
182.00
400
Buckets (Two)
18.0
382.00
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
CONSERVATION MEASURES ALREADY IMPLEMENTED AT AFSP The campus has already put into practice some conservation measures. They are listed below.
•
Rerouting of all fresh water taps to residences through the overhead tanks. This action is very effective in making sure that all water that is used is under control of residents of the house. It helps in curtailing any indiscriminate use.
•
The replacements of the old large volume flush cisterns (20 litres) by the ten litre cistern in the campus. Almost 90% replacement is complete in a part of the residential complex.
•
The use of aerator fitted appliances (taps) in part of the residential complex is also done.
•
The residents cannot install any additional tanks for storing water other than the one already provided.
•
Quantity of water provided is according to the norms set by the campus and there is no deviation to that.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.�
CONCLUSIONS
Planning for WATER SECURITY is an idea whose time as come. With increasing scarcity of water , the potential for water related conflict has increased. Hence it is important for each unit to plan its water demand and supply levels such that a reasonable balance can be achieved using, as far as possible, internal water resources. Creating water security is particularly important for Armed Forces cantonment areas. Water, being a basic necessity, can be a source of vulnerability for the troops stationed in that area. Depending on externally sourced supplies of water, not only exposes the troops and their families to artificially created water scarcity but also poses the danger of harmful chemicals/contaminants in the water which can affect the physical well being of the inhabitants. This DRDO project seeks to create a model for Creating Sustainable Self Sufficiency in Water Resources in a cantonment area. The project highlights the mismatch between the demand for water and the current supply. It shows that the extravagant current demand for water is unsustainable. It also shows that the desperate attempt to cater to this demand by extracting groundwater ruthlessly, is also unsustainable. The report presents a method by which demand for water can be brought down to a reasonable level, especially in non-critical areas such as horticulture. It also gives a water management plan by which internally available supply of renewable water can be augmented to cater to this demand. By using this plan, it will be possible to cater to the rationalized demand without depleting the groundwater reserves of the cantonment. The plan for AFSP can be used as a template for similar cantonment areas. Infact, we hope that this project initiates a serious, well planned sustainable water planning effort by cantonment areas across the country.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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A Study On Self-Sufficiency In Water Requirement At Air Force Station Palam And Road Map For Creating Water Security For The Same.”
ANNEXURE 1 GROUND WATER RECHARGE ESTIMATION OF AIR FORCE STATION, PALAM, NEW DELHI Location Area Ground water extraction Q1 (Domestic) 100 acres = 0.4047 Sq.Km 2,64,000 GPD Q2 (Technical) 200 acres = 0.8094 Sq.Km. 4,80,000 GPD Q3 (Camp) 166 acres = 0.672 Sq.Km. 4,08,000 GPD Q4 (Pinto) 200 acres = 0.8094 Sq.Km. 4,56,000 GPD TOTAL 666 acres = 2.6955 Sq.Km 16,08,000 GPD Present draft = 15,48,000 GPD Total No. of tubewells = 17 (2 dried up) Daily pumping hours = 20 hrs. (approx.) Average draft of each tubewell = 5000 GPH = 5000 x 20 x 4.5/1000 = 450 cu.m/day • The area has substantial green belt which are been maintained by ground water supply. So there is a possibility of return seepage to ground water as 10% (assumed). Total annual draft = 15,48,000 x 350 = 541.8 MG/yr. Effective draft = 451.8 x 0.9 = 487.62 MG/yr. Rainfall = 700 mm. = 0.70 m. Non-monsoon days = 250 days Non-monsoon draft = 450 x 250 = No. of tubewells = 15 Nos. Total draft (non-monsoon) = Monsoon days = 100 days Total draft (monsoon) =
1,12,500 cu.m/season 1,12,500 x 15 = 16,87,500 cu.m/season = 1.6875 MCM 450 x 100 x 15 = 6,75,000 cu.m/season = 0.675 MCM
Recharge Computation 1. by Fluctuation Method Monsoon Recharge = area x specific yield x rise/fall in water level (fluctuation) Area = 2.6955 sq.km Sy = 10% Fall in water level = 1.5 m (as per monitoring of water levels by CGWB) Monsoon recharge = 2.6955 x 0.10 x (-1.5) = -0.404 MCM Monsoon draft = 0.675 MCM Total monsoon recharge = (-0.404) + 0.675 = 0.271 MCM 2. by Rainfall Approach Monsoon recharge = area x rainfall x infiltration Area = 2.6955 sq.km Rainfall = 700 mm. = 0.70 m. Infiltration = 15% = 2.6955 x 0.7 x 0.15 = 0.283 MCM OUTCOME • The recharge by both the approach matches and indicates that the annual recharge is to the tune of 0.28 MCM (average) • The total annual draft in the area is = 487.62 MG/yr./220 = 2.22 MCM/yr. • This indicates the area is under stress so far as ground water is concern. • urgent need to adopt recharge to ground water to balance the recharge – discharge gap. • Adoption of suitable water conservation practices to reduce the stress on ground water. • Presently the domestic area has adopted recharge to a tune of 6.0 lakh cu.m. (0.6 MCM). More recharge structures to be implemented to augment ground water.
Study by: Forum for Organized Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), C8-8035, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70.
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