Navigating water challenges – Our visit to Sandeep Vihar Apartments

 

As we completed our visit to Allure Avani, we were taken to the next site. We visited Sandeep Vihar apartments in Kannamangala, Bengaluru, to gain insights into their water management challenges and potential solutions. We were first introduced to Mr. Navneeth Rao, a retired colonel and resident of Sandeep Vihar apartments. He gave a brief insight about the site and its water related issues followed by giving us a tour of the apartment.

Biome Water team with Sandeep Vihar residents

Sandeep Vihar Apartments have a significant daily water consumption of 4.5 lakh liters. Previously, the site had a direct connection to the Kaveri River, supplying water four times a week, ensuring that the sumps within the site remained full. However, this dependency shifted dramatically when the Kaveri Basin went dry, forcing the community to heavily rely on water tankers.

Initially, the site used 7-8 tankers, but the drying up of Kaveri Basin has increased this reliance up to 35 tankers per day. This situation underscores the urgent need for sustainable water management practices.

The site has 19 bore wells out of which only 5 are operational, while rest are dried up. The limited focus maintaining and utilizing bore wells has increased the issue of water scarcity. To address this, a proposal has been planned by the Biome Water team to incorporate recharge wells near the existing bore wells that still yield water. This approach aims to replenish the groundwater and make the bore wells more reliable over time.

Biome Team marking the locations of RWH pits

Mr. Navneeth Rao advocates for a gradual implementation of these solutions. He emphasizes considering the diverse opinions of the residents regarding water usage and management, preferring a slow and steady approach to see better, long term results. After finishing the tour of the apartment, we were taken back to the lobby area and were served with delicious samosas and tea. We also had a general talk with him regarding Indian water systems and the mindset of Indian people.  

Mr. Navneeth Rao taking us through the site

In conclusion, our visit here was an eye opening experience, highlighting the critical need for sustainable water management in urban settings. This visit also reinforced the value of community involvement and thoughtful planning in addressing water scarcity issues, ensuring a more sustainable future for Sandeep Vihar. 

 

Our Visit to the Allure Avani Project Site

 On 24^th May 2024, our Biome Water team visited the Allure Avani site near Bengaluru. The project isn't built yet, but we got to see their plans, and they're impressive. The site spans 43 acres and will have 138 big houses. They're building it in three phases to keep things organized and eco-friendly. When it's done, about 2,100 people will live there.

                                                           Construction of Villas

One cool thing about the site is how it slopes from west to east. They're using this natural slope to collect rainwater. On the east side, they're setting up a big pond to catch rain, which can hold up to 7 lakh liters of water! They also have 20 wells around to help recharge the groundwater.

  

                                           

Recharge wells

                          

                                      The Pond set-up

The site also features two bore wells, providing an additional water source. However, it’s noteworthy that while the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will supply water for construction, the villas will rely on tanker water post-construction. To address water quality, a water treatment plant (WTP) with a softener and a sewage treatment plant (STP) with a 400 KL capacity are proposed. These facilities will ensure the provision of clean water and proper waste management, emphasizing the project's commitment to sustainability.

Despite these measures, the ongoing construction has caused runoff from the paved areas to be unclean and unfit for use. To address the anticipated high water demand of 2,100 residents, we suggest increasing the number of recharge wells around the site and installing additional storage tanks. These enhancements will help meet the community's water needs sustainably.

                                                Interaction with the officials at the site

Our connection with Allure Avani began when they approached Biome after seeing our successful work on the Rainbow Drive project. This collaboration underscores our commitment to excellence and innovation in urban planning and development.

In conclusion, our visit to the Allure Avani project site was an insightful experience that deepened our understanding of sustainable urban planning. The integration of natural landscape features, efficient water management systems, and adherence to cultural principles showcased a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation. We left with a renewed appreciation for the complexities and foresight involved in creating a sustainable community, looking forward to seeing Allure Avani transform from a vision into reality.

Shafia,Sarika,Nandhini,Puneeth,Neelkanth

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Summer 2024

Our First site visit!

We, the new Biome interns with the biome team got to go on our first site visit at Divyasree 77° East apartments on 22nd May 2024. Our group of five comes from various educational backgrounds, including environmental science, business, architecture, and city planning. Focusing on solving water management issues. We saw firsthand the challenges of managing water resources effectively. When we visited the site, we noticed they had nine borewells, but only four were working. This showed they struggled with maintaining and using these water systems. Before us, they had asked another group for help, but they wanted more advice, so they came to Biome Environmental Trust too. It shows how important it is to get different expert opinions on tough environmental problems. The place itself was well-designed, with lots of greenery making it nice and eco-friendly.

We also integrated stormwater pipes into the area, which helps manage rainwater well. To stop water from leaking, they made all the basement walls waterproof. This helps keep the building strong and safe. However, the ground under the site was clay, which made it hard to dig wells to collect water. This meant we had to come up with new ideas.

 

So, we suggested putting in filter borewells. These wells are like recharge wells but go deeper, which helps get through the clay. This shows how we can adapt to what's happening in the area. Also, we made sure any water that flowed too much from the recharge wells went to the outer drain. This keeps water moving and stops it from flooding. We're doing this project in phases. First, we'll put in one filter borewell to see how much good water we can get. After that, we'll add more wells as needed. This careful plan makes sure our ideas work well and keep working in the future. Another big problem at the apartments is their high water bills – they pay about ₹30 lakh each month! This shows how much we need to manage water better. By fixing the borewells and using water wisely, we can cut down on costs and help the environment too.

Overall, this internship at Biome Environmental Trust has been eye-opening. It's taught us a lot about handling water problems and why it's important to use facts and be flexible. Our work isn't just about getting water – it's about making sure the environment stays healthy and looks good too. As we keep checking and improving what we're doing, I'm sure we'll make things better for everyone at Divyasree 77° East apartments and beyond.

Shafia,Sarika,Nandhini,Puneeth,Neelkanth

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Summer 2024

Meeting the Biome Team & Visiting Mr. Vishwanath’s Home!

Group photo of the interns with Mr.Vishwanath

This past Thursday the Biome team of interns visited the lovely home of Mr.Vishwanath, the founder of Biome who has since partially retired after spending 50 years working with water for the government and then Biome. He welcomed us into his home and invited us to sit on his couch where we discussed various topics over a cup of tea. Initially we discussed simple topics like where we are staying, our thoughts on India so far and why we were interested in being here. Eventually we worked our way towards discussions about Biome and the theory behind why and how Mr.Vishwanath ended up founding Biome. He declared that it was just a happy accident after growing tired of government work. We sipped glasses of water that came directly from the Bay of Bengal or more accurately rainfall from the collection system above the house. We talked about the work Biome is currently doing to rejuvenate lakes in the area and the various successes and challenges that come with developing a new process like this. Primarily we discussed how this system uses treated wastewater to refill these lakes and the difficulties with monitoring these processes.

Mrs.Vishwanath’s collection of frog figurines

 

After more discussion Mr.Vishwanath offered to give us a tour of his lovely home. We were staggered by the beautiful architecture and natural light that hit the corners of every room. This was in addition to the red brick infrastructure that came directly from the dirt and clay that once filled the ground where the cellar now resided. We traveled to the roof and saw the garden along with the most beautiful composting toilet we had ever seen. Then Mr.Vishwanath excused himself to go talk on national TV and we continued to admire the house, the book lined walls, and all the potted plants. 

Picture of the kitchen

Subsequent to talking with a national audience, Mr.Vishwanath sat with us again and we discussed our goals specific to our program with the University of Washington. We have been working on a solution that we believe will help aid in the water crisis in Bengaluru and we pitched this idea to Mr.Vishwanath. He gave us a lot of valuable feedback about challenging ourselves and developing a solution that pushes the boundaries even if we “fail spectacularly”. We are currently working on developing this solution and hope to spend our final three weeks here working hard on making a difference. 

Biome Lunch

Last Friday (16/02/2024), Biome had an organization lunch at The Green Path Organic Restaurant. There, we got to put faces to the names from our organization’s team chat. Other members of Biome also got to meet each other for the first time! 

We started the event off in a conference room, where we all introduced ourselves and talked about our studies and time so far in Bengaluru. The Biome members introduced themselves to us, telling us more about their background and how long they’ve been with Biome! They had a very informative discussion about the current water situations happening across India. Unfortunately, us interns were not able to contribute much as we do not have much experience and information on the topic, but it was nice to hear more about what’s happening around us. 

After the initial discussion, we all headed to a delicious, organic buffet filled with fresh fruits, dal, and millet dishes! These have become a part of our daily meal routine during our time in India, but the food at this restaurant was spectacular. We have already discussed going back with the rest of our class! 

Before we had to leave, we introduced our idea for a social venture. Our team is looking into making a rainwater harvesting web tool and creating a more accessible connection between potential customers and Biome. We received helpful feedback on the idea and hope to hear more about where we can take this! 

Overall, we had a very fun and productive first meeting with Biome. Every member was exciting to talk to, and we learned a lot from the group in a short period of time. We hope to see them all again before our time in India is up! 

Elena, Ridgely, Quinn & Kiara

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Winter 2024

Interns’ First Site Visits!

        Yesterday (23/01/2024), the new Biome interns got to go on some site visits! For those who don’t know us interns, we are four students from the University of Washington in the United States who are here in Bangalore as part of the Grand Challenges Impact Lab program. We have enjoyed being in the city so far and are looking forward to working with Biome.

Hunasamaranahalli Well

Pictured left to right: Kiara, Ridgely, Quinn, Elena

Our site visits yesterday included government higher primary schools and open wells. We got to see rainwater harvesting systems in three different stages at three different schools. At Channahalli GHPS, the rainwater system has already been constructed, and we were able to see what the system looks like after completion. This helped us connect a lot of the dots on how this infrastructure actually works. At Kuduregere GHPS, the rainwater harvesting system is still being constructed. The students in this school are actually helping with the completion of this project. It was fun to see students learning about hydrating concrete while it is curing and other construction techniques. Finally, we went to Chikkajala GHPS, where Biome is in the process of designing a rainwater system. This school presents a number of challenges because it includes a recently developed building with a small roof, and an old building that will be taken down and rebuilt. From these three schools, we got to not only meet some very fun school children, but we also got a much better understanding of how Biome and its projects work.

Interns and Staff at Channahalli GHPS

Interns and students at Kuduregere GHPS

Student helping hydrate concrete at Kuduregere GHPS

After visiting the schools, we went to a number of open wells. The first was a street that had two open wells on it. Here, we discussed the prospects of calculating the capacities of these wells if rainwater harvesting was developed on the roofs of all of the street’s structures. This amount could then be compared to the water demand from the inhabitants of that street to determine how effective the use of these wells can be. Visiting a private well, we learned about the intricacies between open well ownership and possible partnerships with the panchayat. In a nearby cemetery site, we discussed the three bore wells that are there and the possibility of replacing their use with some shallow wells instead. 

Private Well

Seeing the shallow wells and how they can be used was very interesting and useful to us as interns. In one of the wells, we could actually see ground water pouring into the well at a deep point - very exciting! When we start working on projects involving these areas, we will be able to go back to collect data and assess anything else we need for work.

Overall, it was  a very educational day with our guides Bhavani and Shivananda! We had a lot of fun exploring all of the different projects, interacting with students, and sharing a delicious lunch. We gained insight on the community we will be working with over the next few months and even got to practice our water drawing skills from an open well. We hope to keep the blog updated with our progress and future visits!

Kiara pulling up water from an open well

Elena, Ridgely, Quinn & Kiara

Interns at Biome Environmental Trust

Winter 2024

Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective

 

A Day Visit to Tamarind Valley Collective

8th July 2023, Saturday

The day started at 6am. A team of 20 people from Biome embarked on their journey to Thaggatti R.F., Tamil Nadu for a day visit to the Tamarind Valley Collective. The place was 2.5hrs away from the main city of Bangalore, situated in the green hills of Tamil Nadu.

We reached the TVC at exactly 9:30AM. After a small walk through the greens (guided by our four legged friend Coco) we finally arrived at the New Lunch Hut. Here we were greeted by our host Madhav who graciously welcomed us with fresh lemon juice and a delicious breakfast of Idli and Sambhar. While having breakfast, he introduced us to Tamarind Valley Collective where we had an interactive discussion of what it is and how it functions.

   
The TVC Lunch Hut

TVC is a community of individuals who share a common vision of embracing a sustainable way of life. Their main objective is to develop and refine a concept of sustainable living. Within this collective, they actively engage in practices that promote sustainability, particularly in the realm of agriculture. They grow crops and cultivate them using methods that prioritize ecological balance and minimal environmental impact. At present, the initiative boasts a membership of 52 families, all of whom are dedicated to this cause. Recognizing the alarming degradation of our planet's natural resources, the TVC community strives to combat this issue by experimenting with a lifestyle that emphasizes reduced consumption and the integration of naturally supported cyclical systems.

TVC's journey towards sustainability takes place on a 100-acre farm, which is collectively owned by the participating families. However, upon their initial acquisition, the farmland was severely degraded due to exploitative farming practices. Undeterred by this setback, the community rallied together and decided to employ permaculture principles as their guiding philosophy. Over the course of the past three years, they have diligently implemented these principles to regenerate the farm's fertility in a natural and sustainable manner. By nurturing the land and working in harmony with nature's cycles, the TVC community is steadily transforming the once depleted farmland into a thriving and resilient ecosystem. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.

After the discussion, the tour of the farm started. We started off with looking at multiple farming practices followed to grow pulses, paddy, tamarind, banana, papaya, ragi, etc. TVC looks after such crops only for the initial few months and lets it grow organically for the rest of the months. TVC only owns one cow and a calf to help them in plowing and other farming activities but is still debating whether to use cattle for farming as maintenance is an issue as of now.

Paddy Farm

Other than such pulses, TVC has also started apiculture. Currently there are 3 such bee hives to observe the bees and see if this venture has a potential to be beneficial for the crops at TVC.

The Three Bee Hives (Bee Boxes)

We viewed the premises of the collective, which is where the living fence now stood. Earlier there was a bamboo fence there, which was weaker and would not last long due to termite infestation. Their shift to a living fence was necessary due to the constant threat of wild animals e.g. elephants, monkeys, boars, etc. grazing and destroying their harvest. During the farm tour itself, we were informed that monkeys had come onto the farm, and they burst firecrackers to scare them away. 

The Three Tiered Living Fence

This fence consisted of 3 layers of different types of plants, with the innermost layer being made of sitaphal and jamun plants. 

The collective also planned on diverting the nearby stream on the property to stimulate natural irrigation. 

Site Where The Water Will Be Diverted

Another interesting fact that we learned was how minimum was the waste production. The green waste like dried leaves etc are used to replenish the nutrients back into the soil. TVC tries to use minimum plastic as well. They have to use some for their nursery but they try to reuse it as much as possible. The nursery hosts plants that will be planted on fertile grounds in the TVC area and will be left to grow on their own after the initial two summers. 

The Nursery

On our way back from the tour, some of us climbed a tree house that is used to keep an eye out for wild animals entering the farmland. Soon after that it started raining, so we started walking back to the Lunch hut where we drank tamarind juice which was followed by a spread of local food. We had tamarind curry, ragi mudde, etc.

View From The Treehouse

This was followed by a refreshing hike from where we could see the whole area of Tamarind valley Collective in all its glory. We stayed at the top for some time, took some beautiful pictures and finally headed back home after thanking our generous hosts.

A Happy Ending :)

As of now, the permaculture agriculture method is not financially profitable for the collective, which is why they also host a number of workshops along with stays in their bamboo tents. The farm hosts hikes for their visitors as well. 

TVC is planning to expand its residential space by allocating 8 acres for the development of a village. Here all the 52 families can stay together and take care of the land easily. Biome will be assisting TVC in this project to help them plan the village.  

Akshita Garg and Mrinal

Interns 2023

Biome Environmental Trust

A Visit to Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant in Devanahalli

Information Board at FSTP, Devanalli

On 30th June, some of us interns had the opportunity to have a look at the faecal sludge treatment plant in the Devanahalli TMC. It was quite interesting to know and understand the mechanism behind how human waste is recycled and thereby used as manure.

As we reached the plant, one of the workers introduced us to the basic functioning of the plant. He patiently explained all the details to us and answered our questions as well. It was an engaging conversation with him. Firstly, he began by showing us the main component, the Feeding Tank. This tank receives the load which is collected by a tanker. The feeding tank receives around three to four loads every day. The tank comprises two sub-tanks or chambers having a capacity of 3500 litres and 3000 litres each. Once the first sub-tank is loaded, the sludge is then fed into the next one.

The sludge is then allowed to settle for a minimum of 2 hours where the solid and liquid components separate. Once this occurs, the liquid is extracted from the sludge and sent to the biogas chamber. In this chamber, the liquid gives rise to biogas as a byproduct. Biogas produced in this plant is used by the workers for cooking. The solid remnants from the sludge then go to the stabilisation tanks where anaerobic reactions take place. There are two stabilisation tanks present in the plant. One of them is movable and is present underground. Apart from this, there were other parts of the plant such as planted gravel filters and an anaerobic baffle reactor. Lastly, the after going through all these processes, the sludge is sent to the drying bed. It is allowed to dry for 10-15 days after which is collected. The dried sludge is then mixed with household wet waste. It is mixed in batches and allowed to decompose for about 45 days. Lastly, it is sieved and the final product is sold as manure or compost.

 Diagram of the Treatment System

Our visit to the FSTP was much needed considering our exposure to Sanitation Safety Planning. This set the context for us to understand this concept better. It was quite surprising to see no foul odour in any of the chambers. There was no chance of humans coming into contact with the faecal sludge. The ambience of the place was calm and peaceful. A lot of trees and plants were present. The manure produced by the plant is also used to grow these trees. There were jamun, pomelo, and roses among others. Birds were chirping even at that hour. A birdhouse was also present in the plant. It was made out of recycled wood. The entire plant was an eco-friendly, low-waste, energy-conserving system. It was great to see this place maintained so well.

View of FSTP

View of FSTP Site

- Srija J & Arunraj,
  Interns at Biome Environmental Trust (Summer 2023)