NRDC India’s Post

The Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, has conducted for the first time in India, a detailed study of an unplanned, low income, urban housing settlement, Sangam Vihar, in South Delhi, which has a population of about a million people packed densely into an area of about 5 sq. kms. It is a detailed study done with a rigorous methodology and worth a read. However, there are a few points on which it is deficient. First, despite having separately estimated the overall storm water flow and the peak flows due to rainwater that is falling in the area and also the grey and black water being generated in addition to the existing and future water demand and supply, a water balance estimation has not been done either at the street, block or the whole colony level. Second, the possibilities of rainwater harvesting and recharge and grey water treatment and reuse or recharge at the household and street level have been ignored altogether possibly from the assumption that these are not possible in a congested locality. However, it is always possible to harvest/recharge rainwater and treat and reuse/recharge grey water at the household and street level, regardless of how congested and narrow the streets are. There are very simple and cheap technologies for this and the only thing required to do this is to build awareness among the residents through workshops and provide funding support where needed.

Reposting for larger outreach One of the few primary data based research study - on large urban dense unplanned settlements water, sanitation and storm water challenges - analysed from a “global south water sensitive cities” framing. Establishing the value of Urban Planning as a Legislative Entitlement of citizens to water and sanitation. Drawing conclusions for a city wide planning for decentralised water supply and decentralised STPs, creating Infrastructure for sanitation and storm water management

Must-Read Report on water and wastewater issues in India's dense, unplanned urban settlements🚰 Cities, especially, large metro cities, are at increasing climate risk-induced water stress and flooding. Sangam Vihar, Delhi, is representative of such a large, dense, unplanned urban settlement. Spread over 5 sq. km and housing a population of more than a million, it is the largest unauthorized colony in Asia. Based on extensive primary data from dense, unplanned urban areas in India, this research critically examines Sangam Vihar, urban planning principles, and the Master Plan Delhi 2041 (water section) This research offers valuable insights in terms of approach, methodology and analysis of urban water, wastewater and storm-water challenges of such settlements. It explores whether retrofitting solutions for water supply, wastewater and storm water can work for such unplanned settlements, and reimagines and explores decentralized sanitation and storm-water management solutions that are firmly anchored on principles of circular economy, equity and justice. Get the copy of the report here: https://lnkd.in/dVZcwsJC Depinder Kapur Umra Anees Susmita Sengupta Dr. Sumita Singhal Subrata Chakraborty Harsh Yadava Anurag Naidu Pradeep Kumar Mishra FARAZ AHMAD mehak puri Swati Bhatia Vivek S.

Millions of people in India live in unplanned settlements facing significant water and sanitation issues. The latest study conducted by Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi explores this challenge through the lens of Sangam Vihar, a massive unplanned settlement near Delhi. The study raises few critical questions and tries to find out the answers. *Can non-sewered #sanitation, solid-free sewers, or shallow sewers serve these densely populated areas (generating 50-100 MLD wastewater)? *Are retrofitting solutions to connect them to existing large sewers viable? *How can we balance #water stress with equitable water supply and sustainable stormwater management in the face of climate change? Answering these questions, study highlights the urgent need for: *Reimagining #Decentralized Water Supply: Prioritizing increased and decentralized water access for these communities. *Hybrid Sanitation Systems: Combining centralized and decentralized sanitation solutions for optimal results. *Stormwater Management for Recharge & Flood Prevention: Implementing strategies to recharge groundwater and prevent flooding through effective stormwater management. To go through the full study click here: https://lnkd.in/gVDVxcWg Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Delhi City of Lakes Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board - India Delhi Development Authority Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. India Water Foundation Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs Innpact Solutions Suraj K. Namami Gange Safe Water Global Initiative Sanitation and Water for All - a UNICEF-hosted global partnership Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance/UN-Habitat (GWOPA) Master of Planning (Urban Planning),SPA-D Manu Bhatnagar R. S. Tyagi Ankit Srivastava Hina Zia Dhawal Patil Madiha Khanam Amit Choudhary Umra Anees Depinder Kapur Subrata Chakraborty Jyoti Prasad Dadhich FARAZ AHMAD Anurag Naidu Down To Earth India WaterAid India UNICEF India The World Bank Asian Development Bank (ADB) Stefan Reuter International Water Association International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) Environment , Climate Change and Sustainability Studies - Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute

India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world according to a report by the NITI Aayog. The country is home to nearly a fifth of the world's population, but it has only 4% of global water resources. Add to this the rapid depletion of freshwater resources and increasing urbanisation.   The overall availability of water in the reservoirs and river basins in the country has also dropped severely. According to data released by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on April 18, key reservoirs in India were at their lowest in March compared to the level around the same time in the last five years. The reason for this massive shortfall was attributed to an El Nino-induced bad monsoon last year, the worst since 2018. The season brought one of the driest Augusts for the country.   Climate change and population growth exacerbate the challenge. Growing temperatures, depleting surface and groundwater reserves, and fluctuating rain patterns that mark unpredictable monsoons - causing floods in some areas and droughts in others.   India has all kinds of good remedies, but so far, they have existed only on paper. Urban planning, compulsory green spaces in cities, rainwater harvesting, better water management are measures that are mentioned in most civic plans. But the execution of these ideas in letter and spirit is the key to solving India's deepening water problems.   #India #ClimateChange #WaterIssues #ElNino #ClimateImpact #ClimateCrisis   This content is jointly prepared by ZWEEC Analytics Pte Ltd and ripple2wave. Follow us for more interesting content on #water and #sustainability.   Sourced from: https://lnkd.in/gQqFRHTA    

India's Urban Development Model is collapsing - Says the article in the news link below. The current Urban Development Policy highlights the following aspects: ● Sustainable Urban Planning: ● Smart Cities Mission ● Affordable Housing ● Mobility ● Inclusive Growth ● Urban Governance ● Infrastructure Development ● Economic Development ● Rejuvenation ● Disaster Resilience In my opinion , there are still some flaws that need correction, the main one being : 1️⃣ Environmental Oversights: 🌱 Urban designs often ignore the environmental sensitivities unique to each geographic zone. 2️⃣ Lack of Governance: 🏢 There’s insufficient oversight on how real estate is earmarked, approved, and sold. 3️⃣ Neglected Green Spaces: 🌳 We lack adequate planning for essential green spaces like parks and large open areas. 4️⃣ Waste Management Issues: ♻️ Waste disposal continues to be a major challenge, with the policy for last mile disposal not yet standardised. 5️⃣ Inadequate Social Infrastructure: 🏥🏫 Educational hubs, healthcare facilities, cultural centers, and playgrounds are often afterthoughts rather than priorities. 6️⃣ Biodiversity Neglect: 🐦🌼 Urban planning rarely accommodates biodiversity. We can and must do better. Let's strive for cities that are sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. #UrbanDevelopment #SustainableCities #GreenSpaces #WasteManagement #SocialInfrastructure #Biodiversity #FutureCities #sustainability #TheChangemakersAlliance

India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world according to a report by the NITI Aayog. The country is home to nearly a fifth of the world's population, but it has only 4% of global water resources. Add to this the rapid depletion of freshwater resources and increasing urbanisation.   The overall availability of water in the reservoirs and river basins in the country has also dropped severely. According to data released by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on April 18, key reservoirs in India were at their lowest in March compared to the level around the same time in the last five years. The reason for this massive shortfall was attributed to an El Nino-induced bad monsoon last year, the worst since 2018. The season brought one of the driest Augusts for the country.   Climate change and population growth exacerbate the challenge. Growing temperatures, depleting surface and groundwater reserves, and fluctuating rain patterns that mark unpredictable monsoons - causing floods in some areas and droughts in others.   India has all kinds of good remedies, but so far, they have existed only on paper. Urban planning, compulsory green spaces in cities, rainwater harvesting, better water management are measures that are mentioned in most civic plans. But the execution of these ideas in letter and spirit is the key to solving India's deepening water problems.   #India #ClimateChange #WaterIssues #ElNino #ClimateImpact #ClimateCrisis   This content is jointly prepared by ripple2wave and ZWEEC Analytics Pte Ltd. Follow us for more interesting content on #water and #sustainability.   Sourced from: https://lnkd.in/gQqFRHTA    

'While the water crisis that hit Bengaluru this summer hogged the headlines, turning the spotlight on water security in urban India, little attention has been paid to the rise in significance of smaller towns and cities in the country, which are charting the new phase of the urbanisation narrative. A recently published study has highlighted this trend using the example of Chintamani, a town around 75 kilometres from #Bengaluru. The study shows how these towns are feeling the pangs of urbanisation — from over-exploited groundwater and depleting aquifers to polluted lakes and fragmented planning,' writes Deepika K C for The Hindu. We conducted the study — Mapping Water in a Small Town: Data and Insights on Water Management in Chintamani, Karnataka — in partnership with Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) and BORDA South Asia (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association). Read the article here: https://bit.ly/3XyiYSH Access the full report here: https://bit.ly/46P0GO6 Rajesh Ramamoorthy Sapna Manjunath Jeevan Roy Anjali Wagle

#InTheNews 🗞 Ground Report covers the work done in Ahmedabad to build climate resilience, covering some of the work done by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and partners Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar and Mahila Housing Trust over the course of the last decade. Read more below 👇 #climateaction #extremeheat #climateresilience #heatwaves #publichealth

The recent water scarcity issue in the national capital and beyond underscores the urgent need for integrated water management in urban India. With rapid #Urbanisation, India must devise smarter, #SustainableDevelopment to address #WaterStress. Water is vital for our #Economy, livelihoods, and food security. Prioritising #WaterResources is crucial for India's journey towards development. Interested to know more? Manoj Dash has more on it: https://lnkd.in/gVcfngJR #UrbanPlanning #ClimateChange #UrbanDevelopment #AMRUT #PolicyMatters