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Construction sector looks for supplemental water sources as natural water resources deplete

Construction sector looks for supplemental water sources as natural water resources deplete

Our day starts with water and throughout the day, there is no personal activity, which we can accomplish without water. For personal hygiene, drinking, cooking, etc, water is essential in our daily life. What would happen if on a pleasant one morning, you will find dry taps and not a single drop of stored water in your house? Of course, our life will stop and continuity of this situation will lead to disastrous calamity.
 
Water is elixir for the survival of living creatures on the earth. It is thought to be naturally and freely available resource but in reality it is indeed not. India is facing acute shortage of water in desired quality in many provinces of the country. The development chores and human negligence towards optimized use of water resources leads to take crucial steps to ensure its future accessibility. Now the paradigm shifts are demanding its sustainable use and conservation. Otherwise non-availability of water in desired quality would seriously threaten the human existence on the planet. A recent study of Water Resources Institute (WRI) stated that 17 countries are at extremely high water risk worldwide and India ranked 13th in the list on overall water stress.Therefore, it is imperative to prudently put together an integrated approach followed with a sequential small step towards efficient water use. This would resolve life-threatening concern of today’s era at global scale.
 
India’s National Water Policy clearly (NWP) stated the use of water under domestic, agricultural, hydro-power, thermal power, navigation, recreation, etc. However, construction sector is also one of the prominent water guzzling area, which is not accounted appropriately in NWP. The construction sector in India is growing at an alarming rate under the purview of country’s development. Perhaps the construction sector is dependent on the natural resources for achieving their development goals as aligned with national agenda. India is facing unprecedented episodes of floods and droughts, which are getting more severe in future as compared to past episodes. One of the probable reasons could be change in land use pattern. The green field and agriculture land is shrinking and transforming from pervious to non-pervious surfaces.This causes lower or negligible water penetration into surface reservoirs and sub-surface aquifers. The lower yield of storm water into groundwater aquifers will lead to greater chances of drought-like situations in the country. Similarly, untapped storm water runoff will get momentarily collected in the lower surroundings and cause flooding. The stagnated flood water ultimately joins the oceans through rivers and its tributaries. 
 
Construction sector need to ensure optimum utilization and consumption of water at all stages of development
The construction sector symbolizes country development and now this sector has to take crucial steps, while planning, designing and implementing techniques towards water sensitive development. A construction project can’t take place without water and it is evident that prior to initiate construction activities at any project site, water sources shall be identified and made available for various construction applications. The availability and quantum of water sources varies regionally and thus makes decision making more challenging especially for construction sector. The water used for construction purpose has to meet water quality criteria in accordance of Indian Standard Code IS 456:2000, failing which can results into bad construction in terms of quality and durability. 
During construction phase, the site team has to avoid wastage of water for curing application. The curing chemicals and concrete admixtures are easiest solution to reduce water demand. Mostly, the construction sites are observed with massive water leakages and overflowing of water storage tanks. The leakages should be rectified immediately and precautionary measures should be taken while storing water for construction.
 
Moving to the next development phase, ie, implementation of planned water conservation strategies at project site. The project design team conceptualizes and integrates water conservation and efficiency measures in the project. In a project, water efficiency can be achieved by two distinct interventions. Firstly, by reducing water demand and secondly by augmenting water supply sources. The water demand reduction interventions includes installation of water efficient/low flow fixtures/fittings, optimizing landscape water demand through appropriate selection of native plant species and species mix, efficient irrigation equipment’s and irrigation schedule. Towards supplemental water sources wastewater treatment, reuse and recycling and rainwater harvesting (RWH) plays vital role.
 
Can Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system resolve India’s water crisis?
Once the building/project operationalize, it is noted that the supply side intervention especially rainwater harvesting systems fails frequently. My personal experiences and observations conclude that the RWH systems are designed without due consideration to the surface typologies, soil characteristics and maintenance requirements. Eventually the RWH systems defunct during and after rainy season and contribute to the flooding within project boundary or surrounding. This is not the story of one development project but this practice keeps on repeating in every project, which will results in maximum runoff and storm water drainage from each project and ultimately create the overwhelming flooding into a particular city. If such consequences will not stop immediately, there is a high probability that India will run out of utilizable form of water soon. Without water there is No Development and No Life and ultimately no Habitable Planet.
 
RWH lacks mass awareness and sensitization of society at large.Also the niche stakeholders including architects, developers, and operation & maintenance staff require proper guidance and technical know-how so that the system functionality can be assured. A common RWH system design can’t be replicated for each project as the design is dependent on various technical factors like soil type, percolation rate, water holding capacity, aquifer condition, etc. The RWH techniques and systems were very common in our ancient time and they were designed to meet water requirements and resolve water crisis in the past. Now the concept is misled and these structures are just provided for the sake of clearance of construction permits. This is the time to think prudently, react appropriately and act proactively for the implementation of water conservation at each stage of development.
 
Ms Sonia Rani, Research Fellow, Sustainable Buildings, TERI
 

 




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