Paradigm in water conservation.

I have been working in the area of Rainwater harvesting for the last 15 years. Though most of my work involves augmenting water supply, I have been also involved in water conservation and demand side management projects as well.

Since I am involved in decentralized projects in housing colonies, factories etc, the design consideration is generally “LPCD” or “Liters per capita per day”. Most projects in housing complexes are designed with the demand pegged at 135 LPCD (though in most urban cases usage is little higher)

Now, if one looks at the number ‘135’, it is the water required per person per day. This is also a legal right of every citizen in India. The breakup of this 135 is given below;

  

USE	LITERS/PERSON/DAY
Drinking	3.00
Cooking	4.00
Bathing	20.00
Flushing	40.00
Washing-clothes	25.00
Washing Utensils	20.00
Gardening	23.00
Total	135.00

The table above is the water requirement per person per day for a hygienic decent living. It is not in the scope of this article whether this is achieved in India or if these numbers are justified.

For the purpose of analysis let us assume that this number is justified.

However, this 135 LPCD is not the amount of water consumed by a person every day. This is just the “direct” demand or consumption by a person. In other words, this is the water that a person consumes from his or her tap directly every day.

The “water footprint” of an individual is much higher that 135 LPCD. We all consume a lot of water indirectly. Our net water footprint is the sum of our direct consumption and indirect consumption.

The food we eat, our clothing, transportation, electricity, consumables, paper, travel, fuel etc have substantial water footprint. This water footprint is rather very difficult to measure or quantify.

In this article I have tried to determine broadly what is the net water endowment available per capita in India. This is an attempt to indirectly determine our water footprint. The below calculations are however broad and general with many assumptions.

The other motivation for this article is to drive home a point on equitable and sustainable water use and distribution.

At a slightly larger picture, we have the following numbers /Data available for India

•  India’s annual Rainfall + Snowfall run off  = 1600 Billion cubic meters
• Assuming 50% reaches the seas, we have the net run off of 800 billion cubic meters. That is 800,000 billion liters.
•  In other words, the annual water endowment to India is 800,000,000,000,000 Liters
• Population of India is 130,000,00,00.00
•  Annual water endowment per person = 800,000,000,000,000/130,0000000 = 6,15,384.00 Liters
• Say 6,15,000 liters is the annual endowment of water per person in India
• This translates to 6,15,000/365 = 1,684.00 liters per person per day. (Think about it, density of water is 1000 kg/m3. Each individual consuming 1600 liters of water a day is equivalent to energy of 1600 Kgs. That is 1.6 Tons equivalent. So, an individual of 80 Kgs consumes an energy equivalent of 1.6 Tons that is 20 times his weight every day. A tiger weighing 350 kgs consumes a deer of 40 kgs for 3 days. There is no indirect consumption in the animal kingdom)
• With 135 LPCD being the direct component, the indirect component of the water footprint is 1,684-135 = 1,549 LPCD say 1,500 LPCD.
• In summary, our water footprint looks like
•     Ø  Direct component (Domestic consumption): 135 LPCD or 8%
•     Ø  Indirect component: 1549 LPCD or 92%
•  As discussed, this 1500 liters is a combination of water used for food, fuel, consumables, paper etc.

NOTE: I have not addressed the question of equity here. We are only discussing the net endowment.

The reason I did this calculation is to drive home the point that we have to look at the larger picture about water conservation than merely looking at taking bath in half a bucket of water or switching off the tap while brushing though these are very much required.

All steps taken at the domestic level to conserve water only reduces the direct demand. Say with best efforts, we may be able to bring our domestic demand from 135 to 100 LPCD. In the larger scheme of things, it translates to about 2% which is also quite significant.

However, we have to look beyond domestic demand and supply calculations for an effective paradigm in sustainable and equitable water distribution.  

Addressing the indirect component of water footprint, we can significantly reduce water consumption and also augment the direct component if required (for health and hygiene reasons).

Hence the point I am trying to make here are;

• Mere reduction in consumption of goods and services can bring down water footprint significantly.
• Larger impetus must be given on sustainable agriculture (For example No sugarcane in arid and semi-arid regions).
• Import substitution of certain goods can save plenty of water. (Water footprint in logistics)
• Skipping a meal once a week is a good way to conserve water.
• Going vegan twice a month and fasting twice a month is significant water savings.
•  Reduce meat consumption or if possible, stop.
• Locally grown food consumes far lesser water. (With my experiments in rooftop garden, we are able to pluck out vegetables for a family of 3 every alternate day at a water footprint of 50 liters a day that is 16 LPCD.
•  Rooftop solar is a good way to reduce water footprint. Thermal power plants are water guzzlers.
• One flight less per year is perhaps equivalent to reducing domestic water footprint from 135.0 to 125.0 per day if not more.
•  Reducing leather is another great way to reduce water footprint.

The list can go on. But the point is we have to give more impetus on reducing consumption and switch to sustainable consumption.

Education and practicing water conservation measures at home or office is good and is required but we must also look broader and deeper into water footprint and also focus on structural and fundamental changes to become more sustainable, equitable and self-sufficient is water resource.

Sustainability and Equity:

Now an important question arises on why we must reduce direct or indirect consumption. India’s endowment in terms of rainfall is more or less fixed and it is more or less consistent at 1600 billion cubic meters per year. It is a replenishable resource and does come every year, like it or no.

My remarks on this are below;

1.   Though our endowment is by and large consistent , our population is growing. We will need to feed more mouths with less water. Rainfall was 1600 Billion cum in 1930 when population of india (Undivided India) was 40 crore. In 2020 we have about 135 crore people in India with the same available water.
2. Here comes the question of equity. Unfortunately, in India this legal right of 135 LPCD is neither achieved nor measured. Even in urban areas we do not have supply of 135 LPCD.

3.  With increasing temperatures there is a need to enhance the direct demand from 135 to may be 200 LPCD.

4.   Though there is no real data on consumption in India, one can be very certain that there is a huge disparity in consumption. In urban places, I am sure our water footprint is about 4000 LPCD. To reduce this gap and to be more equitable, reduction in consumption is inevitable.

5. Most importantly, though there is a water endowment , it is not available when we need it . It becomes imperative to conserve the precious resource for the time of need.

The term The term 'Conspicuous consumption' was first coined by American economist Thorstein Veblen in the late 19^th century. The term has changed its meaning over the last 120 years to very ugly levels.

Given what the world is going through, it is high time that “Sustainable consumption” makes its way into economies and economic theories for a better and cleaner world.  


Next time you visit the amazon website remember the time has come to shift from from 'Conspicuous consumption' to 'conscious consumption',

Reviving the local economy post Covid..

Our country is going through unprecedented crisis amidst global pandemic. The world as well as India is evolving a new normal which will hopefully end ills of the past like climate change, chronic capitalism and inequality.

We will as a country; will definitely tide over the present crisis in a couple of months. But our greater challenge will be once the pandemic ends. Millions have lost jobs, millions will lose in the coming days. Hunger and mass migration unparalleled in the history of independent of India, unfortunately is staring at us.

However, this is not the time to write melancholy but to be resilient, be courageous, be compassionate and to have faith in the almighty.

As the old adage goes “God brings men into deep waters not to drown them but to clean them”. It is now prudent and inevitable to see this situation as an opportunity more than a crisis.

How to see this situation as an opportunity? What is the opportunity that one can see? 
I will try to enlist a few obvious and conspicuous opportunities which can evolve out of this crisis.

   1. Demographic dividend: As we see large scale migration, it is obvious that large able workforce is going back to their lands. That means we have now a good working population in the country side which is actually battling agriculture labour shortage. This dividend should be used for the better now. Government must encourage large scale farming in rich delta of UP and Bihar and bring back its old glory. Indian can also become world’s food basket.

However, this is easier said than done . Few key investments must be made in these areas to encourage agriculture

a.   Invest in Soil and water conservation: Without adequate education and implementation of water conservation micro projects, large scale agriculture will not be possible. Government must educate and sensitize people on water conservation. Government must somehow ensure construction of check dams and recharge wells without the contracts slipping into rent seeking officials who execute projects on paper.

Governments must stop free electricity (to discourage indiscriminate pumping) and instead adopt monthly fixed cash transfers to cover up pumping costs.

b.  Direct Market: This lockdown has seen many farmers directly selling to the consumers where farmers received more money and consumers got a lower price . A solid delivery chain roping in loss making postal departments and youth of the country side can be established for seamless delivery of agricultural produce from the producers to consumers. This way food prices will come down and farmers will get higher income.

c.   Solar Energy : Energy independence should be one of our long term vision (2030). Solid knowhow and world class solar pumping systems must be made available to the farmers. Subsidies and bureaucratic models have only failed us in terms of quality. Time has come for Right identification of technology and direct cash transfer for procurement. As a country we can become world-class only by shunning the archaic bureaucratic model and adopting innovative governance methods.

d.  Local industries: If there is now an intellectual and financial investment into the local village industries and skill development, there will be gainful employment for the migrants who have returned to the safety of their homes. Skills like pump installation and repair, TV repair etc will be in great demand in the next few years as local economies grow.

    2. Urban Water: Covid-19 is showing us the ugly side of injustice. Pictures of our brethren walking on the highways and picture of mass migration from Delhi are glaring evidence of how we have deprived our brethren. If we do not correct ourselves now, history will not be kind to us.

Pumping water away from the country side to meet the insatiable demand of our megacities is a sin on mankind. If there is any hope for any kind of sustainability in our future, it has to start with water. Cities must stop getting water hundreds of miles away (Many of these projects perhaps are designed out of vested interest). There are many small interventions that can reduce the demand of water in cities. Some are listed below;  

a.   Rainwater Harvesting: There must be large scale movement on popularising rainwater harvesting. Most cities receive rainfall to meet at least 40 percent of their water demand (If not more). Rainwater harvesting is easy and must be implemented at ward level (micro de-centralization). Large pool of engineering talent can be mobilised for this task giving the young engineers inspiring work as well as ensuring water security. An illustration is given below;

1.   There must be rain gauge installed in every ward (Connected to the server) .

2.   The lowest point (Valley point) of every ward must be identified.

3.   The catchments must be maintained clean.

4.   Knowing the ward area and rainfall intensity, one can determine the run-off.

5.   The ward staff must ensure construction and maintenance of recharge wells in the ward so that the discharge from the valley point is minimum or to a predetermined level.

6.   It must be made corporator’s or ward engineer’s responsibility to ensure that water does not leave their ward.

7.   It is very easy to monitor the run off from valley points and compare it with the rain gauge measurements.

There must be bottom up approach on rainwater harvesting from ward level to the national level.

b.  Rooftop Solar Energy: Rooftop Solar energy reduces the water footprint. Plenty of water that is used up in conventional power generation can be diverted to more productive use or conservation. It also reduces huge amount of water wasted in laying transmission lines and other infrastructure. It reduces the transmission and distribution losses indirectly saving a lot of water.

There must be much needed fillip for rooftop solar energy in urban places. Again, government instead of giving subsidies and route huge money through long bureaucratic channels can either give direct cash transfer or subsidise the manufacturers. This will cut a huge chain and huge process and speed up the off take of solar.

   3. Urban Farming: Public Parks in urban areas must be converted to fruit farms. Growing fruit bearing trees in urban open lands and public parks have many benefits. Some of them are listed below;

1.   Plenty of water can be saved. Most public parks have ornamental plants and grass/lawn which guzzle up plenty of water.

2.   It attracts clouds and increases rainfall.

3.   It increases employment in parks since more labour will be required to maintain and market the produce.

4.   Fruits can be sourced locally reducing the cost and increasing nutritional value.

5.   It attracts bio-diversity in parks thereby increasing air and water quality.

   4. Plastic Ban: The Lockdown has achieved quite a few goals like cleaning river ganga and improving the general air and water quality. This must be capitalized now by completely banning plastic bottles and plastic covers. This will have many short term and long term benefits. Most importantly our water bodies will get cleaned which in turn will improve the health of the county and increase soil fertility.