5 Methods of Conserving Water - Learnings from Indigenous Indian Communities & Organizations
Update 31 Jul, 2024
·5 min read
India is often called the land of rivers, this land & its people are best known for finding indigenous solutions to complex problems. One such problem that is impacting many countries today across the globe is water scarcity. Climate change and extreme weather have resulted in India’s water scarcity at unprecedented scale in recent years. We saw record breaking high temperatures in every month of 2024. This has resulted in extreme stress among people across Indian villages & cities alike. India has to rely very heavily on ground water. In fact a world bank report says that India is the largest groundwater user in the world. But those sources are also depleting. Sorry to paint such a grim picture but this is what the reality is and this is what our generation, and the coming generation will have to face.
At Made for planet we have made our mission to enable climate conscious people to search, discover and act on sustainable solutions in every aspect of life. We believe change can never be forced, it can be debated, proposed and educated into communities. They in turn will make it a way of life and thus result in all around positive change.
Our search for creating awareness around methods of water conservation has made us meet many individuals, organizations and communities who are doing extraordinary efforts. Today we wish to highlight them and also share stories of change and water conservation methods that general people like you and me can implement in our daily lives.
Baiga community from Kathariya, MP
A vulnerable tribal group & its women from Kathariya village in MP are inspiring citizens across India to democratize water supply. Jaymati bai, a local resident, witnessed immense challenges that she and women like her were facing in fetching water from 2 km away. She wanted to ensure that there can be a household water supply in every home. She was a pump operator at Piped Water Supply Scheme (PWSS) by government & Wateraid India. Jaymati played a crucial role in creating awareness, negotiating with panchayats & locals and mobilization of community. This resulted in a spring-based piped water supply scheme, powered by solar energy, which provides drinking water to all households in Kathariya.
She not only ensured implementation but also trained other women with kits for testing the quality of water. Jaymati Bai was awarded in a ceremony which was felicitated by district officials & ex CM.
Key Takeaway: You can only save what you measure. It is important to install water meters and monitor your water usage. It not only positively impacts the environment but also reduces your water bills. Here are few companies who can help you with this Water Conservation Companies
Mr Semwal from Uttarakhand (Dig A Pond on your Birthday)
Dwarika Prasad Semwal, elderly Gandhian activist, initiated Kal ke liye Jal (Water for Tomorrow) in 2021. Under this initiative he digs small water pits which are no bigger than 3 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep. Inspired by his mission Chamoli, a local from Chamkot village in Uttarkashi district did an unusual gesture to honor the memory of his parents. He dug a small pond in the field of his village.
He said “They will bless me for recharging the earth with water and rejuvenating my small field” Mr Semiwal has inspired many such individuals, especially local women, to dig small ponds. He says that you need to align people's emotions with the change you seek to make. The emotional aspect is very important for people to act.” He says saving water was an intrinsic part of Hinduism.
In Chamkot village Mr Semiwal and local residents have created 3500 small pits. He plans to dig 1000 such pits in Dehradun by next year. He has even dug a small pit on the chief minister’s birthday which garnered a lot of positive media and government attention towards his initiative.
Key Takeaway: You can promote such stories and inspire people to build rituals around building more water streams & consult them on methods to conserve water. Maybe share this article with them, because why not? As Mr Semiwal said you have to make people emotionally connected towards this cause.
Birkha Bawri from Rajasthan
Bawri is a stepwell created for water storage in western India. There are many such structures created by rulers from Rajasthan and Gujarat to fight seasonal unpredictability of rain and drought. The major difference between normal storage tanks and stepwell/bawri is that stepwell make it easier for people to reach the groundwater and manage the condition of the well.
The Bawri/Vav/Baoli are different names given to these stepwell structures according to the region & local language. The interesting observation is they were created mostly by women and women led philanthropic organizations to positively impact conservation of water resources & also to avoid male gaze while they visit local water bodies.
Taking a cue from this traditional structure Mr. Anu Mridul, A jodhpur based architect has created Birkha Bawri with the help of Essgee group. This structure has been created to conserve water for the city of Jodhpur. Birkha Bawri was created with red sandstone. The whole idea of the project was to influence people on conserving & harvesting water using traditional methods.
Key Takeaway: Your own terrace or verandah can become a water harvesting structure. You can divert rainwater into the borewell via installing a few technology components. There are varied companies providing such solutions which are listed here: https://madeforplanet.com/category/water-conservation
People from Chennai (Koyambedu TTRO Plant)
In 2019 officials in Chennai declared “Day Zero” . The city faced such an acute shortage of water that they had to bring water from neighboring states as far as 200 kms to continue functioning. This act became a harsh wakeup call and hence the city started to find solutions to recycle & treat their waste water.
They set up a two Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis Plant first of its kind & scale in India and started to recycle 20% of the city's sewage water. The plant offered a sustainable water source to the city and also saved its ground water & rain water resources. This became extremely useful to its population and industries who started using this alternative resource.
A study by Anna University has predicted that by the year 2050, Chennai can meet up to 50% of its water needs by recycling and reusing its sewage.
Key Takeaway: Before letting water go down the drain, think of how your used greywater can be reused & repurposed for cleaning toilets & watering gardens. Organizations can turn this repurposed water into a resource for varied activities.
“Water Aunties” in Telangana
According to the 2018 Composite Water Management Index report by the NITI, approximately 600+ million people lack access to safe drinking water. Safe Water Network & NGO MARI have been training & supporting local women. Safe Water Network’s iJal stations employ thousands of women who own & operate these water stations. They are fondly called “Water Aunties” Even during challenging times like covid water aunties & iJal stations of Safe Water Network ensured affordable water to local communities.
Key Takeaway: Share your resources with others in need. Reduce your usage to bare minimum. Others always benefit when you stop your wastage.
To summarize, India as the most populated country, is also one of the worst performers in providing access to clean drinking water. It ranks at 140 out of 190 countries. Large & small, all the efforts will be instrumental in conserving water for future generations.
In this article we gave 5 methods of conserving water and we are re-iterating here as follows:
- Install rainwater harvesting system on your terrace or verandah
- Recycle & Reuse your used water
- Measure & Reduce your water usage
- Inspire others to save water
- Share your resources with someone in your community
If you have read this article we know you care about this and we really appreciate your patronage. Here is an interesting video which can knock some sense in people who waste the water. Tell us what you think!
