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PMC fails to enforce 30 pc water cut

Monday, 24 August 2009 13:36 administrator
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Indian Express 24.08.2009

PMC fails to enforce 30 pc water cut

The State Water Resources Minister Ajit Pawar’s directive to cut the city’s water supply by 30 per cent to ensure regular supply during the rest of the year have apparently not been implemented.

Pune has been getting reprieve from 30 per cent water cut at the moment, as the PMC has not carried out the minister’s directive

Normally the city needs 1005 million litres of drinking water per day. As the PMC has not been able to implement the cut entirely, the city is even now getting upto 900 MLD of water, with the cut being only around 10 per cent.

The water supply is routed through Khadakwasla pipeline (60 per cent) and the irrigation canal (40 per cent). In June, when the irrigation department announced a 40 per cent water cut, water supply from Khadakwasla Irrigation Canal was stopped. It cannot do so now because of a drought-like situation. Farmers need “protected irrigation” to save their crops, according to Union Agriculture Ministry instructions.

Senior PMC officials, however, admitted that they were drawing water from the canal for the city’s drinking water supply as usual. Irrigation officials said they have left it to the PMC to implement the water cut. “PMC has to apply the water cut. They have to use less water,” said Avinash Surve, superintending officer, Khadakwasla Irrigation System.

The water flow in Khadakwasla canal continues to be 1100 cusecs. Senior Irrigation officials said they had not lowered the gates at Parvati water works to reduce rate of water as they do not want to jeopardise the PMC’s ongoing planning. “It will take a few days for them to draw a new time table for the water cut and plan its implementation,” said Shivaji Bolbhat, executive engineer, Khadakwasla Irrigation System. “We have a certain quota for the corporation. We will not be able to supply more water later if they use up their quota now,” he added.

“If we are getting more water, it is better for the city. Our policy has been to supply as much water as possible,” said PMC Commissioner Mahesh Zagade. “It is based on demand and supply; if it rains in the next few days, the situation will change,” said Zagade.

Usually by August 15 the reservoirs are full. This year they are only 70 per cent full. Even as the city received rainfall, the catchment areas have gone dry for over two weeks, making no addition to reservoirs.

Last Updated on Monday, 24 August 2009 13:39
 

Experts stress on effective waste management

Monday, 24 August 2009 13:30 administrator
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Business Standard 24.08.2009

Experts stress on effective waste management
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar August 24, 2009, 0:37 IST
 

Hazardous wastes, if not properly managed, can pose a serious threat to the environment including land, water, flora and fauna.

 

Since industrialization and economic growth is accompanied with increased generation of waste, management and handling of these wastes have assumed importance in the states like Orissa. For every Rs 50,000 the country spends, 1 kg of hazardous waste is generated. In this context, the industries generating waste need to be familiar with management of these hazardous material, feel the experts.

Participating in a seminar on Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the experts stressed on the need of effective waste management. There are 36,000 hazardous waste generating industries in the country which generate 62,33,000 tonnes of wastes per annum. About 50 percent of these material is recyclable, about 7 percent is incinerable and 43.78 percent is land disposable.

In this context, there is a need for adoption of multiple approaches to manage hazardous waste, strengthening of legislation and ensuring and enabling compliance to proactive engagement of the industry in reducing the quantum of waste generated.

Besides, experts emphasized on increasing environmentally sound recycling of the waste; moving towards greener production and consumption practices and adoption of new technologies of waste management.

Speaking in the inaugural function Sidhant Das, member secretary, Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) said, though modern industries are aware of the impact of waste, they are negligent if a regulation is not imposed. The Seminar was attended by major industries in Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

 

Delhi largest municipal solid waste producer in country: Survey

Monday, 24 August 2009 12:52 administrator
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Business Standard 24.08.2009

Delhi largest municipal solid waste producer in country: Survey
Press Trust Of India / New Delhi August 24, 2009, 1:35 IST
 

Delhi is the largest municipal solid waste producer in the country, followed by Mumbai, says a survey by a business house.

 

Delhi produces 6,800 tonnes of solid waste a day, while Mumbai generates 6,500 tonnes. In the absence of scientific management facilities, these cities are dumping the wastes in landfill sites, says the survey carried out by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) in 22 cities across the country.

Mumbai sends all of its waste to dumping sites followed by Delhi’s 94 per cent, it added. In fact, as many as 14 cities dump 75 per cent of their solid wastes, which is as high as 15,785 tonnes a day, indicating the lack of adequate treatment and disposal facilities.

“In cities like Delhi, Faridabad, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Pune and Surat, which are at the higher end of the waste generation spectrum, more than 80 per cent of the waste is disposed off in landfills," the report said. It pointed out that waste treatment options such as composing and waste-to-energy plants were not being adequately explored by the big cities, which generate high percentage of wastes.

However, with cities like Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune, Surat and Ahmedabad, which supply over 80 per cent of their waste to dump sites, there is a huge potential for landfill gas-based energy projects.

 
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