Storm-water Collection Potential

Emphasis on rain water harvesting has been increased for last more than decade. It is economical only when it is used for ground water recharge. Though it is compulsory for all new housing projects very few are in operation. It is because –

1.      It requires high infra-structure cost like underground tanks.

2.      Maintenance of tanks.

3.      One cannot depute separate work force because it operates few days in year.

On other side storm water is in huge quantity as compare to roof-based rain-water collection system and able to make flash-floods in rainy season.

Every large city infrastructure has two types of drainage systems sewer drainage system and storm-water drainage system. Qualitatively storm water is very safe as compare sewage it have mainly problem of turbidity as compare to fresh water.

Idea is instead of collecting and treatment/dispose storm water together according topography storm water should be collected and store as a artificial aquatic body. It can be constructing small bunds on existing nullahs, Old stone quarries may be require artificial reservoir at down streams .In a year or two naturally get converted to natural body and this water can be use as source of fresh water which will be helpful to reduce stress on existing water supply infrastructure. If such scheme is implemented in city like Pune which have around 480 sq.km area there will be 341760000 cubic meters extra water will get available for city on yearly basis.    

Are Effluent Disposal Standards are able to control pollution or they masking aim of pollution control?

Effluent Disposal standard Fistly introduced by USEPA in seventies and followed by most of world.It have oxygen deficient parameters like BOD/COD.It is assumed that effluent discharge to water bodies and water bodies are cleaned and non polluted.But what we see many times water bodies are more polluted than treated effluent.There are many reasons behind it as large increase in waste water generation,fast population growth but quantitative approach did not carried out only qualitative approach did not able to solve this problem.In many countries there is cap on effluent generation by industries so instead of utilities some expensive technologies like multiple effect evaporators,Reverse Osmosis are compelled on industries result of  same quantity of waste get generated (In mass)but give white wash that pollution get controlled but there was only route change.

The law makers ,governing agencies should be change their view and aim to disposal standard to save aquatic or terrestrial life my require oxygen plus disposal standard to save both aquatic and terrestrial life may be fishes may be insects.