Increase in #groundwater demand for agriculture etc is stressing available water sources and for this we have to #recycle and #reuse #wastewater efficiently which needs multi-dynamical approach of technologies, by consideration of #socialeconomic and #environmental prospects. A sustainable water resource management can only be achieved by reduction of fresh water, minimization of #waterpollution at sources and planned and strategic #reuse and #recycle. The world is at a strange crossroad in terms of #environment concerns and #development. Very recently India signed the #Parispacttotackleclimatechange. The headline made no bones about calling India the world’s third largest carbon emitter intending to boost use of “#greenenergy” and reduce emissions relative to its #GDP. And yes, we have felt the impact of climate change in our country, which has affected our native crops, the weather and our health in general. It is time that we address the monster in our house with corrective measures and long term solutions. It’s of utmost importance to engage with the three magical Rs that are significant in #wastemanagement and #watermanagement through best and innovative practices in ensuring #waterconservation through water use efficiency, recycling the industrial waste water for reuse (#RRR) etc
#WasteManagement
In the world of waste hierarchy, the order of priority of actions to reduce the waste that is generated on daily basis and to improve the processes and programs by which this will be managed, there are 3 R’s; reduce , reuse and recycle. These are very easy to implement principles that will have a lasting impression on the landfill that can reduce your carbon footprint. #3R approach, is fundamentally an approach that requires efficient use of resources from the point of extraction up to their final disposal, could make a significant contribution in reducing #greenhousegas (#GHG) emissions from the entire life‐cycle of resources and products
In this consumerist world, consumption is the main goal and abundance is a figure, but if we become a little more aware and responsible, we can reduce the production and thereby the consumption, and positively affect the waste hierarchy. If there is less waste, then the need to reuse and recycle is also less. But. most times, it is difficult to assess what we can do without. So, we help you with three simple steps that help in reduction.
- Is this something that needs to be done? A lot of our waste is disposable. Not meaning to say that you use it once and throw it away, but whether or not what the item allows you to do has any real purpose.
- Is the item essential to your life? Many products will promise you the moon, but can do very little of what it promises. If a car promises to save you from a desert storm, and you buying it to avoid such a situation will only encourage production and waster resources and creates more generative waste than one can imagine. So, be aware of the fact that, what you buy should be what you need, and not on what you foresee in the future.
It is difficult to restrain yourself to your bare minimum needs when there is a culture of mass consumption, but we are getting there.
#Reuse
Most often, my mother is amazed at the junk accumulation that I do. I can’t throw things easily, unless it is absolutely of no use to me. I keep most stuff broken, half broken for future use with some tweaks or to sell them to the trash picker for him to refinish and use. Learning to reuse items, or re-purpose them for a use different then what they are intended for is essential in waste hierarchy.
One of the best examples for how this is being done today is the modular construction of homes and office buildings that is being created out of discarded shipping containers. These large, semi-truck sized metal containers represent a huge waste problem. Repurposing them as homes and offices saves them from the landfills and doesn’t require the additional expenditure of nature resources to melt down and reconfigure the metals used to create them.
#Recycle
This is the obvious last stage of the waste hierarchy. To #recycle is to transform it to a new item, to be used. Most stuff can be recycled, barring a few. Out of all products, plastic has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.The centre has banned the use of plastic bags less than 50 microns throughout the country with stringent rules. While plastic recycling started in late 1970s-early 1980s in India; the amount of plastic consumption far exceeds than the amount being currently recycled in India.
There should be an initiative to raise awareness against plastic usage, recycling and reducing plastic pollution, which can be supported by organizations which get these recyclables plastics converted back into a raw form to be used to create new different products. When a recycled material, rather than a raw material, is used to make a new product, natural resources and #energy are conserved. This is because recycled materials have already been refined and processed once. You will be surprised to know that one recycled plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 3 hours. With such figures and initiatives from #government and NGO’s, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we have taken giant leaps towards collection and sorting processes but we still have a long way to go in terms of transformation of the discarded waste into raw material. More progress is being made towards uniting recycling plants with industries that can process the waste material through agreements and incentive credits. #Green and socially responsible procurement at all levels should be promoted thereby creating and expanding 3R for environmentally friendly goods and products.
Benefits of Reducing and Reusing
- Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials
- Saves energy
- Reduces #greenhousegas emissions that contribute to #globalclimatechange
- Helps sustain the #environment for future generations
- Saves money
- Reduces the amount of waste that will need to be recycled or sent to landfills and incinerators
- Allows products to be used to their fullest extent
#WaterManagement
The mantra is the same for #waterwastemanagement. The three magical ‘R’s
#Reducing
The water industry has to educate people on the needs of our water systems, water sheds, reduce, reuse and recover. The multi-stakeholder partnerships among governments, civil society, and the private sector in raising public awareness and advancing the 3Rs, #sustainableconsumption and #production, and #resourceefficiency should be strengthen to check proper #wastewatermanagement.
According to Black & Veatch’s 2014 Strategic Directions, #USWaterIndustryreport, less than 20 percent of utilities are considering progressive features within their #advancedmeteringinfrastructure (#AMI) programs that can provide water restriction monitoring or time of use rates. This will help consumers reduce the usage, due to financial reasons, and also, when you have an online monitoring system, you will know your consumption patterns and thereby be encouraged to conserve.
Leak detection is another area of opportunity to conserve water. Water dripping out of a pipe or a faulty tap is a usual sight in India. Leaks within the distribution system often goes unnoticed for many months and years. Advanced distribution will not only identify the leaks, and help lower operation and maintenance cost. Apst from that, water authorities/departments carriers especially in India waste enormous amount of water in distribution. The government should look into it to save us from our water woes.
#Reusing
Reusing water is the need of the hour. Population growth has pushed the demand for water to unbelievable amount, and this is straining the available supply. Most modern apartments in India reuse or recycle water, which is primarily used in the washroom. The prices and the strain on supply are the primary reasons for reusing. But still we have to have comprehensive water reuse programs to wean industrial users off of freshwater supplies and to also recharge existing reservoirs and aquifers. As #climatechange and #urbandevelopment add pressure on our finite supply of water, it’s critical to explore opportunities to store as much water as possible. One innovative approach is to store water in underground aquifers using a technique called #AquiferStorageandRecovery (#ASR), which involves re-injecting treated water back into an aquifer for later recovery and use through latest technology which enables to meet current and future water demands by storing water during wet periods or periods of low demand and recovering it during dry periods or times of high demand.
#RecoveringResourcesfromWater
Experts who work on water management believe that used water is full of valuable resources that should be recovered. Not recovering the water supply, nutrients or the energy potential of this resource is the “waste” element. Dr. Les Lampe, #WaterResourcesGlobalPracticeLeader, Black & Veatch is a strong advocate of the belief that there is no such thing as wastewater. While concluding I would quote our hon’ble #PrimeMinisterShriNarendraModi “So long as we do not focus on our lifestyle and bring it in the centre of the global attention we cannot despite all attempts succeed, recycling of products is in vogue as the world is working to cut down on the exploitation of nature, but we Indians always believe in recycling and using old products and we have a long tradition of protecting nature”.
It is necessary to develop a mechanism and a support system for encouraging technical and more efficient systems from #awarenesscampaigns and #knowledgesharingplatforms. There is also a need to create a more effective legal framework to ensure the stringent execution of “#RRR”.
By #DrArvindKumarPresidentIndiaWaterFoundation
