Water onservation
Sanjeev Goyal
Water Conservation
Given the alarming rate at which potable water is disappearing from our planet, the urgent need to conserve this invaluable resource has reached a critical juncture. Consequently, I am submitting the following grievances along with suggested action points for your consideration. As the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) serves as the nodal agency for environmental protection, I kindly request its coordination and leadership on these matters, and should they be more closely associated with other departments, to facilitate their engagement. These grievances represent low-hanging fruit – issues that can be addressed relatively easily and swiftly.
(1) Grievance: Despite the availability of water-efficient aerators in the market for an extended period, their widespread adoption remains lacking. These aerators significantly reduce water consumption without compromising on quality. Installing such aerators on all wash basins and kitchen sink taps could lead to substantial water savings. However, there is currently no mandate to utilize these efficient aerators. This simple and straightforward method has the potential to greatly contribute to water conservation efforts, and these modifications can be easily implemented on existing taps.
Action: To address this issue, the usage of water-efficient aerators should be integrated into building construction and maintenance specifications. By incorporating this requirement into building standards, we can ensure that water-saving measures become a standard practice, thereby promoting sustainability and responsible water usage. A 2 litre per minute aerator is sufficient for wash-basins whereas 3 litre per minute is suitable for kitchen sinks.
(2) Grievance: Air-conditioning units, particularly in government offices, are often misused, being switched on early in the day and left running until late, regardless of occupancy or absence. This misuse contributes significantly to electricity consumption, emissions, and environmental degradation. ACs are frequently employed for luxury rather than necessity.
Action: To address this issue, it is proposed that the minimum temperature settings of AC units be fixed mechanically during manufacturing. All AC units used in residences and offices should have a predetermined minimum starting temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. Operation below this threshold should be prohibited. This measure, similar to the approach adopted in Japan, can substantially reduce electricity consumption, prevent misuse, and mitigate environmental degradation caused by unnecessary cooling.
(2) Grievance: The pricing of water supply per unit should not remain stagnant regardless of consumption levels. Instead, it should be structured to act as a deterrent, encouraging individuals to limit their usage within acceptable standards. Currently, there's a lack of national policy prohibiting the provision of scarce natural resources free of cost. When resources are supplied free of charge, they are often wasted. For instance, in Delhi, every household receives 20 kilolitres of water free, regardless of the number of occupants.
Action: To address this issue, the pricing of water consumption should be progressively higher with increased usage. A tiered tariff system should be implemented, where the cost escalates significantly beyond a certain consumption threshold. For example, households consuming more than 4.5 kilolitres per person per month should face substantially higher charges. This approach ensures that the price per unit reflects the level of consumption, incentivizing responsible usage and discouraging wasteful practices.
(3) Grievance: At meetings and conferences, water bottles are provided to participants. However, they often get mixed up on the table, leading to potential contamination. As a result, attendees frequently opt for a new bottle, even when half-filled bottles are still available, resulting in unnecessary wastage of this valuable natural resource.
Action: It is recommended that the industry consider incorporating a writable surface near the top of the bottle or cap, where individuals can easily write their names. This simple addition will facilitate the identification of bottles, thereby reducing wastage and promoting responsible usage.
(4) Grievance: Waste of RO and AC water: Often, the waste water generated by RO systems and discharged by outdoor AC units ends up flowing into drains. Despite being suitable for various purposes besides human consumption, this valuable resource is needlessly wasted.
Action: It is imperative to incorporate water collection systems into building designs to capture this runoff. Furthermore, integrating this collected water with rainwater harvesting systems can facilitate groundwater recharge, offering a sustainable solution to minimize wastage and contribute to water conservation efforts. It is therefore necessary that a direction be issued to relevant departments responsible for developing/updating building code to count this requirement.