Requiem for a Dream....
"Rain Rain go away, Come again another day" is in anethema for any rain water harvester, though it might have been his favourite poem in his/her childhood. The environment is a loan from our children and we can all conserve it in our own ways at our very homes. What we have to understand is that though our efforts might look small in the global context they are certainly contributing to something big for the future. Well, this realisation hit my brain quite recenly, after the workshop on rain water harvesting which was held on the 20th of June by the rain water club. The workshop was aimed at making one understand the different ways of conserving and reusing water.
The workshop was held at the Vishwanath's residence. It began with a simple explanation about how rain water harvesting was being carried out. The rain water from the roof top is collected into a rain barrel after it passes through the first rain separator and a netlon mesh to remove all the sand and other impurities. The overflow from the rain barrel and the rain water gets collected in the overhead tank which further overflows into the sump.
This was followed by a talk on how the grey water(water from the washing machine and the bath water) is reused. The grey water is allowed to pass through 4 plastic cylinders each having reeds (typha) grown in them. Reeds are basically water plants that feed on phosphates. They suck the chemical impurities from the grey water. This is then passed through a sand filter to remove the remaining impurities. This water is used for toilet flushes and to irrigate the ragi plant which is being grown on the roof top.
We were also told about the ways in which solid waste was being converted into useful matter. This was done using the ECOSAN and DAILY DUMP. ECOSAN is a dry toilet that uses very little water for washing and no water for flushing. It infact works on the reverse theory of WCs. The ecosan consists of a hole for collecting the faecal matter (solid waste), one for the urine and a basin for washing. The urine is used as a fertilizer for the ragi plant. The faecal matter is collected in tin cans from time to time. It is allowed to decompose for 6 to 8 months after which it turns into manure.
The DAILY DUMP is used to convert the daily kitchen waste into compost.It consists of three mud pots stacked one on top of the other each with small holes near the rim for ventilation except for the third one. The daily kitchen waste is put in the topmost mud pot.This is done till it fills up. It is emptied into the second one and susequently into third pot where it is left to decompose completely.
Last but not the least - THE TIPPY TAP. The Tippy Tap is a simple device for hand washing with running water. It is made from an old plastic container with a hollow handle. The base of the container handle is sealed such that when the container is tilted the water comes out only out of the hole near the sealed base.The tippy tap is not only economical but also a simple and efficient way of washing hands.
The workshop not only taught me a lot but also inspired me to incorporate these techniques in my house. The conclusion drawn out of the workshop is to take a big leap in improving the current situation of water. Otherwise, we will be left repeating what William Wordsworth had said many years ago
-- Rohini Raghavan
The workshop was held at the Vishwanath's residence. It began with a simple explanation about how rain water harvesting was being carried out. The rain water from the roof top is collected into a rain barrel after it passes through the first rain separator and a netlon mesh to remove all the sand and other impurities. The overflow from the rain barrel and the rain water gets collected in the overhead tank which further overflows into the sump.
This was followed by a talk on how the grey water(water from the washing machine and the bath water) is reused. The grey water is allowed to pass through 4 plastic cylinders each having reeds (typha) grown in them. Reeds are basically water plants that feed on phosphates. They suck the chemical impurities from the grey water. This is then passed through a sand filter to remove the remaining impurities. This water is used for toilet flushes and to irrigate the ragi plant which is being grown on the roof top.
We were also told about the ways in which solid waste was being converted into useful matter. This was done using the ECOSAN and DAILY DUMP. ECOSAN is a dry toilet that uses very little water for washing and no water for flushing. It infact works on the reverse theory of WCs. The ecosan consists of a hole for collecting the faecal matter (solid waste), one for the urine and a basin for washing. The urine is used as a fertilizer for the ragi plant. The faecal matter is collected in tin cans from time to time. It is allowed to decompose for 6 to 8 months after which it turns into manure.
The DAILY DUMP is used to convert the daily kitchen waste into compost.It consists of three mud pots stacked one on top of the other each with small holes near the rim for ventilation except for the third one. The daily kitchen waste is put in the topmost mud pot.This is done till it fills up. It is emptied into the second one and susequently into third pot where it is left to decompose completely.
Last but not the least - THE TIPPY TAP. The Tippy Tap is a simple device for hand washing with running water. It is made from an old plastic container with a hollow handle. The base of the container handle is sealed such that when the container is tilted the water comes out only out of the hole near the sealed base.The tippy tap is not only economical but also a simple and efficient way of washing hands.The workshop not only taught me a lot but also inspired me to incorporate these techniques in my house. The conclusion drawn out of the workshop is to take a big leap in improving the current situation of water. Otherwise, we will be left repeating what William Wordsworth had said many years ago
"Water Water everywhere but not a drop to drink"
-- Rohini Raghavan
No comments:
Post a Comment