Sunil Seth
My first writing on “Nature Based Solutions For Water” in this paper on 08-05-2018, primarily reflected the concept of bringing nature into action by way of “Green; Blue and Grey” ,thereby, recreating a nature oriented water cycle; to manage water resources; water demands; the interplay between flood and drought and the storm water management at the macro level. Climatic changes which I have witnessed in my life itself have confirmed the facts which scientists are explaining regarding the impact, that playing with nature can bring, positive and negative as well. Negative can be explained in terms of changing weather conditions in Jammu itself since my childhood till today. Positive part of it can be witnessed in the change in the local weather of Chanderkote, after the impounding of water in the artificial reservoir stretching up to a length of 25 kms, created behind the Baghliar Dam in the month of August 2008, thus, firming my observation too. Green infrastructure, by contrast is to harness natural resources to infiltrate , recharge, evaporate and reuse storm water using soils, topography ,vegetation engineered material to soften the impact of urban development on water resources and ecosystem in cities. Environmental, ecological, socio-cultural and economic aspects are needed to be integrated for planning and management to counter the “Indiscriminate Urbanization “, there by, destabilizing the ecology and climate while designing the new “Smart Cities” in line with the latest technological advances. It becomes mandatory to take care of improvising it with ” Green Infrastructure ” too, in managing water ,earlier caring least about waste water and storm water, resulting into flooding of most of the metro cities during rains; worst of it in Kashmir and Chennai; the two extremities of India. Conceptualization for “Green Cities” needs to incorporate the management of waste water which can be broadly categorized giving stress on “Reuse ” of water being wasted due to storm water and non-judicious use of water being supplied for domestic use, resulting of it into waste water out of which only twenty one percent is recycled as yet. “Green” concepts can be incorporated in designing of ” Smart Cities” by way of the simplest methods of ” Sink it”, “Slow it” and “Resue it”. In the method of ” Sink it “; the system of “Rain Garden” can be designed to collect storm water in a planted but depressed area where it can be absorbed into ground . Rain Gardens are effective in removing pollutants from storm water , improving water and air quality too.
The method of” Slow it” includes the concept of permeable roads; permeable pavements in parking lots, low traffic streets ,drive ways, patios, plazas and sidewalks thereby reducing runoff volume and “Heat Island” effect due to prevalence of concrete pavements .It will considerably reduce runoff volume and will result in improvement of water quality too. Concept of ” Flow through Planter” can be incorporated to allow storm water to flow and filter through vegetation . Drainage from rooftops can be directed into them for recharging and removal of pollutants too. Concept of ” Horizontal Gardens” in the form of “Green Roof System” , which is composed of multiple layers including water proofing membrane, sub-surface drainage pipes ,engineered planting soils and specially selected plants as developed by Japan which releases oxygen many times more than the normal plants requiring less of water can be incorporated for design of “Smart” but “Green Cities”. Technique of agriculture by the name of “Hydroponics” wherein small plants can be grown under controlled conditions using minimum of water with maximum of efficiency can be employed. It’s advantage includes added insulation ,noise reduction, reducing” Urban Heat Island” effect thereby lowering temperature of buildings on which this technique is employed ; reducing the cost of HVAC system ; adding aesthetics to the structure and improvement in green cover also. New technique of “Vertical Gardening” is coming in vogue too. New buildings having vertical facade or even stepped elevation or any civil structure can now be designed in such a way that the exposed facade can have the green cover. Vertical façade, whether, inside or outside is being termed as “Living Wall” or “Green Wall”. They consist of modular panels that can be attached to the existing exterior / interior walls ,space dividers, fences or virtually vertical structures. World’s largest “Vertical Garden” in Bogota, Columbia, hosting 115,000 plants using concept of ‘Hydroponic” system, creating a ‘Living Building” helping to produce more oxygen and cleaning the air around . Even the concept of developing the “Wetlands” artificially under the head “Slow It ” can be incorporated in design of “Green infrastructure” to reuse , retain and treat storm water runoff thereby supporting wetland plants and simulate natural wetland system; removing the storm water pollutants thereof and are beneficial for flood control and water quality improvement too.
Third, and the last head of “Resue it” involves construction of “Detention Tanks” to be used to temporarily hold storm water and waste water .It will help in controlling downstream flooding and lessening the demand on treatment facilities. Moreover the areas above the tanks can be landscaped again as it has been done in the underground storage reservoirs in P.G.I Chandigarh. Crux of it is to recreate ecological balance by ensuring creation of “Green Corridors”, “Renewal of Energy Resources”, ” Proper Waste Water Management”, “Waste Water Preservation”, “Extreme Weather Conditions”, “Resilience Measures”, and , at the same time ; mitigation of “Natural Disasters”.
Methods above can hold good in already constructed cities by improvisation and can also be incorporated while designing new cities, with very strong recommendations , of not to allow the concept of “Individual Houses” but encouraging “High Rise Buildings” with increased “Floor Area Ratios”, so that the least of natural topography is disturbed and maximum of “Green Cover” be maintained and if ever “Individual Houses” are allowed,” then strict imposition of the laws to replace the “Concrete Cover ” by an equal “Green Cover ” by the ways discussed above; by introducing legislations under the constitutional ambit and amending it even if the need arises . Administration, as such has to think selflessly.
But, the ” Modinomics”, aspiring to make India like the Western World seems a distant dream. Where survival is still a daunting task for big chunk of the population which hasn’t even got the basic psyche of using such facilities , concept of “Bullet Trains ” and “Smart Cities” has to be given a due deliberation, even today, as the real India ,lies in the villages till date. Time has elapsed and we have not been able to even inculcate the basic concepts responsible for real and sustainable development of India which is a crystal clear failure of our so called the “Political System” and the biggest” Democracy” of the world.. I am not against the development in line with the world, but firstly ,Indian psyche has to be given an over-hauling ,only then, the real India can prosper and shine like “Shining India” campaign by their predecessors , which failed leading them to be out of power after their maiden stint.
In India where we only have dust around us the moment wind blows, compelled me to think about the importance of “Green India” as being reflected in this writing of mine. Sheer optimism of mine it may be, which I may not experience in my lifetime as I have crossed fifty but our descendents may have the privilege to hear it at the world level, calling my lovely country “India’ as a “Green Patch” when seen from the space using “Google App” ,as the earth is known by the name of “Blue Planet”.
“Smart Cities” need to co-exist with “Green Cities”, for sustainable living and mitigation of “Disasters”; to prevent recurrence of these, resulting into catastrophes every now and then ; becoming a regular feature in different parts of the world because of the change in the Eco-system.
(The author is an engineer)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
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