written word: the fight for survival
This just reinforces the adage: Land belongs to those who can defend it.Here
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/4987
is a slightly old article about land acquisiation in mugaon ( valley in lavassa to be developed after dasve). I had visited mugaon a few years back with a friend who was doing some study there. I went with a blank slate, and met some of the families there and I came back understanding enough to be disturbed.
I met a widow who owned some land at a foothill in mugaon. Lavassa had taken over the hillock above her land and cut off her water supply so that she would relent under the pressure to sell. She worried about her adolescent daughter. She had tied a rakhi to a responsible male in the nearby hutment just so that the presence of a male would deter the bihari labour camp from setting their eyes on her hut. One of my friends was helping her out by trying to organize the farmers, their paper work so that they can claim their rights.
My heart went out to that widow who was now supposed to fight for her right when she was constantly under the fear and pressure of survival. Her survival depended on the produce of her land and some money she would get on the excess produce.The water supply to her farms had been diverted and she was living in fear.
How can such downtrodden people fight against the might of political parties? Policy decisions are governed by large cities. Largeness is becoming more and more inhuman by the day. Our policies are favouring BIG malls, BIG companies, BIG conglomorates, BIG countries. I remember the rainy day in quiet mugaon when I was sitting in that widow's makeshift tin hut. The noise of the city, the blaring horns of its BIG people haunted me there. I hope and pray that the meek have found their voice and have made their choice. A choice that will give them peace of mind, and something which will help them survive. Even if it means bending to the pressure and selling away just to get peace and security. Just a after a few days of my mugaon trip I met one of my ex professors from college who was working for lavassa. An extremely humble, nice, pleasant person who was happy to be staying in a beautiful place like mugaon.He was a nature lover and used to observe and paint the birds there. he was earning good money to support his family and was fully knowing that he was implementing orders which came down to him. I saw the duality in the scene. Each to his reasons, each working for survival, and yet we all fight ........amongst ourselves.
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/4987
is a slightly old article about land acquisiation in mugaon ( valley in lavassa to be developed after dasve). I had visited mugaon a few years back with a friend who was doing some study there. I went with a blank slate, and met some of the families there and I came back understanding enough to be disturbed.
I met a widow who owned some land at a foothill in mugaon. Lavassa had taken over the hillock above her land and cut off her water supply so that she would relent under the pressure to sell. She worried about her adolescent daughter. She had tied a rakhi to a responsible male in the nearby hutment just so that the presence of a male would deter the bihari labour camp from setting their eyes on her hut. One of my friends was helping her out by trying to organize the farmers, their paper work so that they can claim their rights.
My heart went out to that widow who was now supposed to fight for her right when she was constantly under the fear and pressure of survival. Her survival depended on the produce of her land and some money she would get on the excess produce.The water supply to her farms had been diverted and she was living in fear.
How can such downtrodden people fight against the might of political parties? Policy decisions are governed by large cities. Largeness is becoming more and more inhuman by the day. Our policies are favouring BIG malls, BIG companies, BIG conglomorates, BIG countries. I remember the rainy day in quiet mugaon when I was sitting in that widow's makeshift tin hut. The noise of the city, the blaring horns of its BIG people haunted me there. I hope and pray that the meek have found their voice and have made their choice. A choice that will give them peace of mind, and something which will help them survive. Even if it means bending to the pressure and selling away just to get peace and security. Just a after a few days of my mugaon trip I met one of my ex professors from college who was working for lavassa. An extremely humble, nice, pleasant person who was happy to be staying in a beautiful place like mugaon.He was a nature lover and used to observe and paint the birds there. he was earning good money to support his family and was fully knowing that he was implementing orders which came down to him. I saw the duality in the scene. Each to his reasons, each working for survival, and yet we all fight ........amongst ourselves.
bathroom and paints
I am publishing my own work here! This a 6' x 6'-9" sized black bathroom.Thankfully being a ground floor, we created a false wall in cement board and brought some garden inside. I have used some lovely tiles from Sanghar, and natural slate stone on the walls.
I was extremely picky about the blue colour on the wall. In the process of selection I was realizing that the asian paints catalogue has a large variety of shades and tints of basic colours, but very few deep basic colours. I was not satisfied with the dilution. Hence we tried many a shades.
We got indigo, but it wouldnt stay on the cement board that we have used.
Then we tried cement paint with indigo additive, but that gave a dirty violet! I was keen on the bright blue which we see in villages.
So finally I made him show me his original paint concentrates. Its a small bottle to which they add white. And thats the colour we picked!
dung floor
Thanks to my Yoga instructor, I got a chance to help him make a cowdung plastered floor in the garden of his house.
Location: Javakhedkar's house, near Karve statue, close to Rahul nagar, Kothrud, Pune.He got the dung from :
the canal road near the state bank of india chowk opposite sndt, on paud road.
We do not know if the dung was cow's, or buffalo'sसारवायला मजा आली .
Learnings:
1.The smell will stay on your hand for the day. The dung acts as a moisturiser and hands are awesomely soft later.
2. If the dung is from a well fed cow, it will not smell bad. Infact if it is from a calf it will be very nice to work with, non smelly.
3. It is said that cow dung is so pure and has purifying properties such that it can be used to make kitchen counters as well.
4. The ground is very comfortable to walk on later. Slightly spongy, and cool.
furniture costs
This estimate is a slightly overpriced initial quote from an excellent rajasthani carpenter. Actually this is a firm and not an individual. However I have posted this to give an idea of furniture estimation. The above estimate is for slightly dense furniture ( that is involving several drawers, or layers of usage). It is assuming that good quality 'full garjan' ply is used, a good quality veneer is pasted on it. The veneer is polished with melamine later.
Full garjan ply: 80rs/sqft approximate.
Wash hand basins
What does one look for when selecting a washbasin?
a. I am a proponet of good plain white basins. No fancy stuff for me. Jaquar, Kohler, Hindware all provide a good range. Further up will be imported stuff. Parryware is the most trusted brand in India.
b. Basins can be placed above the counter, within the counter with just the edge above, entirely below the counter such that we can push water from the counter into the basin.
More to add,- independent standalone basins. You might get maximum variety in designs in counter top basins because the basin is actually on display like a piece of art. Hence the fuss around it. Many interior designers might provide under counter basins for elders. They are more practical where counter space is more precious. If space below the counter is to be utilized then one can make shutters or drawers to keep soiled clothes, and other needful stuff inside them.
c.A basin should not be very shallow so as to avoid splashing. Glass basins or fancy basins look attractive but have to be maintained spotlessly clean. Water droplets generally tend to leave a mark on their surface because of which they need to be kept extra clean all the time.
d. The basin tap may be fitted on the basin itself. OR it may not be on the basin. In the first case you will have a single angle cock on your wall somewhere below the counter from where a flexible hose will connect to the bottom of the tap which is fitted on the basin.
In the latter case, the tap is assumed to be fixed on the wall or on the counter. In such a case the hoses may not be required and the inlet directly connects to the tap. I have chosen a pretty fitting from the jaquar florentine range. It is a wall mounted flat plate which holds a cock and a faucet sitting next to each other.
e. Costs: prices can vary from 3000 to 6000 rs to more expensive stuff of 10k plus as well. That was beyond my range. A ballpark figure of 1lakh per toilet with good finishes is considered while making good interiors. However it largely depends on the selection of materials.
One counter top basin has costed me 7k whereas another one has costed me 3k. Both from Jaquar.
A beautifully designed white basin placed on a jet black counter top looks exquisite.
While looking for taps do check for water flows of the same. If possible do look for availibility of a footvalve. I have yet to find a source for a footvalve provider in pune. I learnt that dentist chairs get manufactured in bangalore because of which there is availibilty of footvalves in bangalore but may not be so in Pune. Now this is what I call design to context!
Hence no footvalve in my house inspite of it being such a wonderful way to save water.
bathroom tiles
I am going to take an opportunity to actually dump rates, suppliers, and information about various materials onto this blog.
I am in the midst of working out the interiors of 3 bathrooms in my house. In the process I have looked through a couple of tile shops.
1.Sanghar at Bibwewadi. Their collection of tiles may be of a slightly higher price range but all tiles are of a very good selection. Nothing too gaudy. They also have a Jaquar showroom above along with some Kohler fittings as well. With everything available under one roof it becomes quite easy to select and finalize on a design.
When doing an interior a person will be spoilt for choice. The market pampers you with so much variety that even if you have a certain liking you will be forced to reconsider your own leanings. Thus my advice would be, do your homework first. Look around at what you like in the bathrooms which you visit. Only then go to the tile shop for a selection. Make sure you have some prior idea of what you want to buy.
2.Jain marble at Ambegaon. I got black slate stone from here. I also happened to know them personally hence I was aware of their knowledge regarding various natural stones and their qualities. The market is flooded with ceramic tiles which make perfect duplicates of natural stones. But if you are a true naturalist a tile will always feel artificial to your foot. So go for it, use that lovely stone and explore natural finishes as much as you can.
We have a beautiful kota stone floor in our house. With this addition and subtraction work happening in the house our contractor has put a safety layer of Plaster of paris( POP) on the entire floor. This is a recommended practice to protect the floor.
3. Kajaria on university road. This shop is on the top floor of the building. They are essentially a display place where actual sale does not happen.They will hand over a list of dealers to you from where you can place your orders. Hence it is not a shop which will beg and plead for customers. They have a good range of imported tiles as well which they sell directly from the store. Kajaria tiles are very affordable.
4.Ceratec at ambegaon. They are known for their wide display and stock of artificial marble stone. They also have a showroom with a display of tiles, bath fittings, sanitaryware all under one roof.
Tile shops can give lots of discounts. If you like a tile, ask for a written quote from them. The attendant will give you a quote which will mention the price of the tile ( generally per square foot) and the percentage discount if any. The attendant always earns a percentage of the sale so try and ask for the same person everytime you visit. The attnedant's loyalty will thus build up towards a regular customer.
5.There are lots of small sanitaryware shops on many roads. I somehow couldnt get myself to buy form there. They might prove to be a good bet for somebody who is focused on getting really cheap deals and scouring the market.
6.Door frames for toilet doors are better if they are resistent to water. Wood frames may get moist and flaky particulry at the bottom where there is water contact. Stone can thus be used as jambs. White artificial marble-240-270 rs per sqft. It gels well with the surrounding white wall. Telephone black granite is often used because it shows less grain. If you have white walls it might stand out in contrast.
recommended trees for an urban garden
a good document which gives names of trees, particularly those which play host to butterflies and birds thus increasing biodiveristy.
pune-kondhwa-soil stability
How deep should a foundation of a loadbearing construction be?
For a ground plus one storey loadbearing house a strip foundation of 1'-6" below ground level is sufficient. What is important is that soil and silt is removed and that the wall rests on murrum.This area is a hill slope zone almost rocky or dry degraded land with very little vegeation. Soil is whitish due to degradation of soft rock(murrum). Layer of black soil is only approximately 2' after which we came across soft murrum.
Difference between soft murrum and hard murrum:
Soft murrum appeared to be whitish-yellow..distinctly different from the soil that we dig. Top soil if taken in your fist will crumble into powder. Or at the most of lumps of powder. Soft rocke/murrum when taken in a fist will break into flakes. The flakes cannot be broken easily by one hand or by just pressing on it. one would need two hands to crack it in the centre again into 2 flakes. This flake is not consolidated soil. It is disintegrated part of lower hard rock. This soft murrum is in the process of becoming soil. It is not soil coming together to form lumps.
Soft murrum is left exposed to sunlight or wera and tear will dry up quickly and break away into soil like powder/fine particles.Hence it is important to cover it or seal it up as soon as it is dug for a foundation. Thus the strenght of murrum remains intect.
Workers generally do a ठेपा ठेपी बांधकाम in stone over a base layer of pcc. this evens out the level.
I was at this site where the big question was to whether we should go deeper upto 5' below ground level so as to hit real hard rock. we had hit soft rock at 3'. the conclusion after a discussion with the structural engineer was that it is not necessary . soft murrum is hard enough for transfeering and carrying load of a ground plus one loadbearing structure's distributed load.
I write this with refernce to a site on katraj kondhwa road, Pune. The site is on a hill slope which is degraded, with very little vegetation and soil cover.
lewis mumford
"While a great many other ideas and measures are of prime importance for the good life of the community, that which concerns its architectural expression is the notion of the community as limited in numbers, and in area; and as formed, not merely by the agglomeration of people, but by their relation to definite social and economic institutions. To express these relations clearly, to embody them in buildings and roads and gardens in which each individual structure will be subordinated to the whole — this is the end of community planning."
Lewis Mumford in "Sticks & Stones: A Study of American Architecture and Civilization," pp. 230, 1924.
Lewis Mumford in "Sticks & Stones: A Study of American Architecture and Civilization," pp. 230, 1924.
how to test food adulteration
A friend shared these notes about testing food adulteration. Teken from a talk by Dr. Moghe.
composting methods-low maintenance
Compost loving people will always recommend various methods of composting. Its for us to decide what suits our lifestyle in the best way.
1) For those in apartments with just a balcony/terrace space: ( this one is credited to mr. anirudhdha Deshpande)
Take an old large squarish bag made in nylon. Typically vendors and shopkeepers use these for carrying goods. Keep it on a piece of paper in your terrace/balcony corner. Dump your daily food waste into that and zip it up. it might leach a bit in the start. It will smell a bit slight musky smell, but flies cant come close because it is closed. You can get a bottle of EM from Inora and sprinkle a few droplets everyday onto it.
2)For several families: Get a mason to make a cyclindrical container 3' diameter in a corner of your apartment's garden. Make it with alternating brick so that there is a gap between two bricks. This will save on brick quantity and also help aerate the inside. Line this with steel mosquito mesh. The bottom need not be made with pcc. The base need not be pcc. so only a circular strip foundation for the wall will be required..very minimal. dump the waste in this.
In apartments the problems are with managing a person who will move the compost, put earthworms etc. this way the dump stays, and yet aerates from the sides. putting EM from top while adding waste can always be managed by the person who is dumping.
I will reinforce this with sketches very soon.
when canna does not flower
कर्दळ / canna indica will flower when there is lack of water. The plants do not flower in excess water. If you have non flowering canna in a waste water treatment bed, it is a sign showing that water is excess.
house at navdarshanam
This is a project I worked on when I was a part of Biome environmental, Bangalore. It is 1200 sqft house sitting over a 700sqft lower floor which has a library, meeting room and meditation space.
Background: This house belongs to a community of a few followers of the Gandhi Peace foundation. The community has a few houses where people stay and take care of running of the place. Villagers from the nearby hamlet come here to make wholesome foods. They run the community kitchen. Some of the products like pickles, powders are supplied to the city.The community doenst have a grid connection and runs on solar energy. They have their own cattle shed and beleive in simple living. This house which we built there has also been made keeping in spirit with the place.
Album:Jan2011. Stage:After completion.
Address:Ganganahalli village, Gummalapuram, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore.
Architecture: Alternatives to sand in construction.
I am involved in a research project trying to look at alternatives to sand in the construction industry. This initiative from a bangalore based ngo made me knock doors at various institutions across India. eg: The IITs, CBRI, Vellore colleges, anangpur building centre, past professors of IISc, and many other civil engineers. Conclusion: There are 2 main alternatives to sand presently:
a) stone dust also commercially known as blue sand/ robo sand/ Msand.
b) Foundry sand ( wherever there are foundries)
c) Recycled concrete aggregate-RAC ( wherever demolished concrete is more)
There are two perpectives when we look for alternatives to sand:
[ A ] From a research perspective: Inventing a new ecologically benign material which has all properties like that of sand.
[ B ] From construction perpective where buildings are designed to minimize the need for sand.
I am now concentrating on option B. What alternatives can architects do with the limited resources of sand which we have at hand.
The whys:
Sand is deposited in river beds. Presently in states like maharashtra and Karnataka sand supply is becoming a mafia because sand supplies are limited. River waters are now behind dams due to which the sand does not get continually replenished like before. Riverine habitats get destroyed as mechanical dredgers are used. hence finding alternatives to sand in the construction sector is crucial.
Where sand use is critical:
For the plastering of buildings. For good concrete with good strength.
Design alternatives which architects can help with:
1.Non plastered buildings! or atleast reduce area of plastered surfaces. Insist on better masonry workmanship so that plastering is not required for doing the cover up job.
2. Buildings should be designed for local materials available in that area. In Pune, sand has to be sourced from Pandharpur, jalgaon..most of the northern/ northeastern neighbours where rivers are flowing. So which material is better suited for pune?- I wouls say stone. Because Pune sits on basaltic rock.
3. In Bangalore, the soil itself is sandy and is a good resource for construction or making bricks. In comparison, pune has block cotton soil with high organic content. The best use of that is for agriculture.
4. Reducing concrete use. Loadbearing structures wherever possible. eg: upto g+2 structures.
Interesting facts I learnt in the process:
1. Bureau of indian standards-BIS codes stipulate the specifications of concrete and other building materials. Concrete strength has become a benchmark across all states in India to such an extent that structural strength has begun to be associated with use of concrete and steel. Innovative local materials are not elaborated or mentioned in the codes. The codes have brought about standardisation. This ignores the fact that our country has the most diverse geographical features and resources spread out from edge to edge. Thus sand cement mixes, foundry sand research, mud houses, adobe houses, bamboo houses etc. lose out in the certification as strong constructions.*
2. The common brick is always tested for structural strength, when all the while it is being used for making filler walls without load.RCC framed structures take the load. Thus the brick requires good surface properties, and not just strength. If the surface is good, plaster can be avoided.
3. A wild thought of future supply of sand: dig into sand deposits in dam catchments!
* The opinion expressed is open to debate. If anybody is aware of process of changing BIS codes please enlighten.
architecture and ae-love-ae-son design
Why do we design perfect elevations for mass housings?! This is a building next to my house completed about 6 months back. Some of the families have settled well now. Today I noticed these clothes hanging outside one terrace. A dish antennae sticking out at another point.
The builder has taken pains to get good plastering finish. The combination of colours, the efforts to hide ducts, make boxed windows, match lines,....ah the perfect ae-love-ae-son ( a very gujarati way of saying elevation :)) These will be perceived as eyes sores in the near perfect elevation designed by the architect. I pity him.
The Indian lifestyle does not support subordinance of rules and regulations in lifestyle. Each family will have a touch of their own.We are too diverse, and now united and mixed. One cannot expect even an upper middle class family to follow rules so that the building looks prettier for the person on the road. I mean really, is that so important? Trust me, if i was living in in an apartment like hiranandani alongwith 400 other identical balconies around mine, I would surely want to colour mine a bright orange and tell my friend standing below," hey girl look up to the orange balcony!". An idea to change. A DIY way of improving the apartment. Isnt that justifiable?
A bunch of us photographers and friends have been roaming and documenting the streets of pune. The area now called as the core city. Sadashiv peth ( सदाशिव पेठ) is an example. Or take any village or old street for example. The house owner would do up his house in his choice of colours, blue, pink, a balcony in white, maybe a door in red. It was diverse. Some people enclosed balconies, others put grills on them. Some put plants, and others put notices. This is diversity reflected in architecture. It gives a slap back to the aesthetics of international style architecture.
Why the heck should the world appear to be the same? Why shall buildings in mumbai look like those in shanghai? Dont we have any individuality? and that individuality will reflect when 'masters of aesthetics' as we call us architects will take a step back and let the owner adapt and build that home. A series of movies on world architecture featured dharavi slums. It is the perfect example of architecture without architects. kudos to the innovativeness there.
Im not saying architects are totally dispensable, ( though thats very much on my mind) .Think of an elevation which actually reflects diversity. Maybe a colour maze. Give the apartment owner a choice. The right to make his own home. Design an elevation which will allow for increment, change and yet make for good aesthetics. Shouldn't mass housing have a say from the masses afterall?
Coming back to the neighbouring apartment building, Im expecting more surprises soon :)
water purifiers comparison website
http://compareindia.in.com/products/water-purifiers/
Good website which gives a comparison of water purifiers. Thanks to India water portal for sharing this.
comment: hoardings in Pune make it a good urbanscape.
Yesterday i was at this busy junction at Appa Balwant Chowk( ABC ). I was standing on the footpath with my cycle. I looked around the busy junction, something which I never do. But I looked and observed the buildings. There were hoardings of all sizes all over. A mix of buildings with balconies and people interspersed in between. Shops everywhere and boards everywhere. I first thought it was chaotic to the eye, but then I actually liked it.
It was so vibrant!! And the chaos was not about the traffic. Generally for a person on the bike/ car or even the cycle the city seems chaotic and overbearing. But if you wait along the side and look around, it is extremely vibrant and lively. The hoardings are interesting cause one also then observes how they are fixed, somebody walking behind one, a little torn corner on it and these little things which will satiate your curiosity.
For somebody in the car, a large loud hoarding is just enough to provide for that attention span. But get down and take a walk, and you will realize how beautiful and lively the place is. Our cities were designed for pedestrians, for people who will notice these quaint little shops tucked away in corners. they will read those puneri notices written in chalk on small blackboards.
I compared this with a walk I had taken along this main road in new bombay. There was a huge highway alongside and I was on the parallel residential service road. There was a well paved footpath. A few trees as well. large buildings with big setbacks. But everything was absolutely boring to eye. There were cars whizzing past me. There were very few people! jazzy buildings, jazzy cars, large hoardings. It was all designed for the person in the car who has a short attention span. That minisecond when he whizzes past he notices the well done pathways, avenue of trees, hoardings, and large bildings with good elevations.
This made me question of what we define as well planned cities. Planned around whom? Planned for what? The person in the car, like the country US of A does? Or designed for the people and by the people, like any busy chaotic street in pune? Signboards and hoardings reflect that individuality, the diversity. It adds to the vibrancy because every shop has something to say in their own way. Observe and you will love it.
The comparison speaks a lot about time. The time that a person invests in observing and interacting. I find Pune to be a beautiful place because people here meet, interact, discuss and learn. What does one work for, but to share your experiences with others? A lively vibrant city indeed.
Water: RO system of household water purification -check before you install!
All credits to Ar. Anil Laul for this matter. I am attaching 2 pages in which his experience with RO system is explained. He lives in delhi. In brief what he says is this:
RO systems work on demineralizing water. But minerals are good for the body and are required for a healthy body. An RO system will not accept the presence of gold or silver in the water. This is beacuse it is demineralizing it. We all know that gold/silver/copper in water is always healthy which is why we have silver glasses for babies.
A water test provides a measure of Total dissolved salts ( TDS) in unit of ppm ( parts per million) of dissolved minerals. A value of upto 700ppm is fine for drinking water quality. The Maharshtra pollution control board prescribes drinking water to have,-
| Total Solids | 1500 ppm. | |||
| Total Suspended Solids | 25 ppm | - | - | - |
| Total Hardness (Caco3) | 50 ppm |
The RO system seller might demonstrate his system and prove to you a tds value lesser than 100ppm. But do remeber that this is water without essential minerals.Do check your water quality against these norms, instead of blindly following the marketing agent of some water purification system.
Comment: lord macaulay on India
Lord Macaulay in his speech in the British parliament on February 2,1835 on introducing English education in India said
“I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such high calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her cultural and spiritual heritage, and therefore I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self esteem, their native self culture, and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation”.
Since the true statement of Human Values is encompassed in the way we design Human Settlements, our effort is to respect traditional wisdom and blend with today' its needs to provide for a sustainable future.
Credit: www.anangpur.org.
quote
“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change”
- Alice in Wonderland
- Alice in Wonderland
water conservation in a water rich city?
I write this with reference to my city, Pune. A city which has a history of having an excellent water supply system, sweet water, a sangam of two rivers (one of which was perennial) and excellent groundwater. Because the city has grown between several disjointed hills there are watershed areas within the city. These provide for a network of runoff streams which all lead to the rivers. Thus the groundwater table is also very high in most areas.
What we refer to as water availability in any place is a reflection of 2 things:
1. Good governance- The provision of storage and supply.
2. Availability of water- the fortune of having less / more water by nature's blessing.
Historically, Pune has had the fortune of having both, in abundance.
The details of governance led water supply history can be found here
The gist of this history is that storage which proportionated good supply has been around since 1750. Thats 250 years past. Citizens are used to regular supply, regular rain and abundance.But, lifestyles of people have always been frugal, because the town was known to be a paupers' community. Leaning more towards an educational town, rather than opulent. Houses were simple and overhead water tanks were small. The lower tank (overground) was larger because it supplied to gardens. Pumping was not required because tall buildings are a relatively new phenomenon in Pune ( about a decade old).
We learn more about the mindset and lifestyle of a population from this history. What has changed in the past 10 years that is now creating problems?
1. Lifestyle: The IT city, an expanding metropolis with 60 lakhs of population, most of which is rich and luxury demanding.
2. Larger buildings, better infrastructure, private enterprise all at a speed which is difficult for governance to catch up with.
3. Rising insecurity, loss of faith in government supply, and the power of private enterprise.
The power of private enterprise is what arises out of rising insecurity.And it is a vicious cycle. Water harvesting at household level, treatment systems at household level, aquaguards in every single home... are all a reflection of insecurity. The municipal corporation supplies excellent quality water, yet everybody invests in an aquaguard. Most bungalows don't want to face any water shortage. So they invest in larger and larger tanks. There is a chance for people to build larger tanks with the advancement in technology. Money is always available to conquer insecurity.All so as to avoid the dreaded day of water cuts.Tanks are made of twice the volume required just to be ensured for that day when water might be less. Level controllers ensure continuous supply. Borewells ensure added security and alternate source.
The point I am trying to make is that insecurity leads to larger storage, which leads to greed for more storage,which leads to scarcity because water finally gets held up. The essence of water is its flow.This gets disturbed when everybody runs to store more for themselves. And the population which actually depends on the government for regular abundant supply suffers the most.
I went through this rigmarole when I saw my own parents, and then clients demand for huge water tanks so that they are ensured of continuous hassle free supply . I agree to the demand. Their argument was that usage is finally the same. They are frugal with their needs, this is just for security. So twice the amount of actual usage is just for security.
With my interest in water I meet people from the municipal corporation as well. This person expressed that Pune municipal corporation has affiliations with so many ngos and citizens initiatives that the corporation is just handing down powers. Everything is moving towards privatization. Citizens suggest water supply schemes, and the govt just helps to implement. Ideas are of the people, and nowadays money too. What more can the govt do, but give a free hand? Afterall water is finally abundant in this city. There is rain, there are dams, there is the river and there is groundwater. We propose to regularize, but then people object that supply is insufficient. Everybody wants a share, a private hand.
At this stage what a water abundant city can do at a policy level is to set maximum storage capacities. This is so that people at the end of the pipeline get water which they deserve. Hence complexes with swimming pools, extra large storage tanks should be charged. Water meters should be installed.
Thus these end up to be methods of efficient distribution and not conservation. Investing in maintenance heavy water harvesting system can prove to be a silly endeavour when the tap gives regular supply. I will elaborate on this in my next post.
water: good website from the government.
http://cgwb.gov.in/watershed/index.html is a website which has information about river basins. It provides information regarding India's water resources. I came across this one as I was searching for maps of major dams around Pune.
music: coming back to life
(download)
Coming back to life
Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun
Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life
I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the waiting had begun
And headed straight..into the shining sun
-David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
water: Notable points regarding household grey water treatment. (For those in the field of water treatments)
1. For a planted filter bed of canna to actually treat water, water should be sprinkled from top. That is water should be in a flow from top to bottom and only then it will be absorbed by the roots. This can coincidentally work efficiently in a household horizontal filter bed also. When the downflow inlet of 4" diameter gets blocked with excess flow, water overflows from top. Thus it spreads over the bed and gets absorbed over a larger surface area. It gets absorbed near the stems of the plants and flows downwards towards the roots ensuring good absorption.
2. BOD and COD, phosphates and allowable levels of other chemicals specified by the Central pollution control board are inspired from western countries / archaic British norms. They are designed assuming a baseflow in rivers/canals where waste water is to be added to. These norms may be inadequate for a waste water system which completely purifies and reuses water within a small campus.
3. Dewats system which has been most experimented with in Auroville, is based on maximum retention time. The longer it takes to treat the water, the more pure it will be.
4. Effective micro-organism (EM) based treatment system is based on microbial activity. These microbes eat the impurities and convert it to beneficial compounds. They act as a filter. Hence water cannot be logged in the system like in a Dewats plant. It need to pass through the filter bed and exit thus maintaining the required dry environment for the microbes.
5.Amongst the impurities present in water, Nitrates cause damage to the haemoglobin/oxygen carrying capacity. The nitrogen cycle is such that it gets absorbed only through plants. Waste water sytems do not reduce nitrate levels in water. They generally remain the same. Mr. Bhavalkar of bhavalkar institute however works on the reduction of nitrate. This water will not be superficially clean in terms of smell or cod /bod. But will be good for human health and well being.
6. For manufacturers of Ecofert, an EM based filter syetem, Bod/Cod are not the ultimate norms of purifying water. The need to form a healthy ecosystem is more important. And hence the output water will prove for itself if there is a good growth of fish and other organisms in it. It is thus following a natural cycle to purify itself. They are working with larger government authorities in trying to make rivers and nallahs rejuvenated with the right vegetation and natural filters. Dissemination through books and journals is proving essential for this.
7. I learnt form Nrgtechenviro that finally pure water and effective tretament is essential. For which a dose of alum, or a pumping process can also be justified. With the large scale projects at which they were working the final result of non smelling reusable water was the only aim. Clean looking pure water is very much acheivable.
8. Viraj envirozing works with entire plumbing consultancy for builders and use the Dewats system. They procure the australian phragmites grass for the reed bed. Working with builders and apartments implies less space availibity which they adress in their consultancy. A willingness to experiment with construction and partenr with builders is also evident.
9. The latest experimentation happening in Auroville on waste water treatments is with the use of Vortices. Victor Schauberger researched on those. It is a way of maximizing aeration but would require pumping.
The above few consultants I mentioned are independent in their work and ideas. Their technology may or may not be comparable, because it is only for a technically sound person to compare the same. As an architect I have gained an idea of how it would influence my planning process. All the consultants above have patented technologies and many years of experience. The Dewats sytem in Auroville however is free for anyone to study from the dewats book ( download pdf ). The dewats dissemination society charges 10thousand rupees and more for teaching engineers about plant design. Other means of learning about this is through an environmental engineering background. Or for somebody like Mr. Bhavalkar who has a rural background of observation and analysis through chemical engineering. Or for that matter Ecofert people who have a background in biology and botany.
In India, or in Pune, very few books have been written about waste water treatments. Treatments which work for our climate with our native plants for the kind of waste water we produce needs to be studied and written about. And if it makes sense to make it a part of everyone's lifestyle, it should definitely be a part of architectural curriculum. The India water portal can disseminate facts about this to children as well. But the haze that surrounds eco-technologies needs to be cleared for the good of all.
credits: Viraz envirozing, Navin singhji of NRgtech, Ecofert technology, Bhavalkar institute.
architecture: Household tips on water conservation for architects/ clients/ designers. Things which can be included in design.
1.If we are in the process of constructing a house, or doing its interiors, lets try and use a footvalve for the basins.( image attached) You must have seen a footvalve at a dentist's clinic. Picture this: I have only two hands which need to be juggled to open a basin tap, then wash, then take soap, again wash and to close the tap. Lots of water goes in the process of putting on/off the tap, and it is humanely difficult to keep closing the tap with soap on my eyes. So a footvalve will keep the water control on my foot. The basin only has an outlet. I can press the foot when I need water on my hands. NOw I comfortable use both hands to wash my face and water does not go waste.
2.Use of a shower head at the kitchen sink tap. This is very useful to wash vessels, as it spreads the water over all the utensils, and less water does the same job.
3.Use of water taps and fixtures which are with lower flow rates( less water per minute) but fixtures which are aerated ( use air to add volume)
4.If you are using washing machines, opt for front loading ones. They wash better because clothes get tumbled properly.
5.Do not use bath tubs, not because its morally wrong, but because you are not paying for the water. In pune water is not billed on volume, and individual water meters are generally defunct. So somebody down the pipeline is waiting for his regular basic quota of drinking water which is getting diverted to bathtubs.
6. Harvest the rainwater from your terrace and use it for drinking!
7. Recharging the aquifer with excess rainwater is possible but should be studied before. Pune has a hard basaltic rock where recharge may not always result in good absorption.
Credits: Biome environmental, Acwadam
architecture: Why green building rating systems dont make sense, and yet seem to work
To elaborate on where rating systems presently fall short:
1.Lets say I am designing a large building for a client. Because the city has a water shortage problem, I convince my clients to not build a swimming pool . Now I will gain rating points only if I show something which is built efficiently as per leed/griha standards. So I have to first build a swimming pool and show that it is efficiently built with latest technology with low emissions . I dont get any points for 'not building'.
2.There is a monetary gain for the designer and client because of green building ratings. So the effort is generally to increase the number of points. It starts working like a reverse cycle and thus conservation of resources is very less!
3. Another example is Low VOC paints. I will gain points if I prove that I have used low VOC paints. But I gain no points if I design a building in exposed bricks/stone and avoid painting altogether. Even though the building is more natural, it will lose out in the bid for ratings.
4.A critical issue is air-conditioning. Even in a system like Griha, there are different benchmarks of achievable human comfort levels for air-conditioned and non air-conditioned building. The closer I get to those levels, the more points I gain.(attachment-about airconditioning) The number of points gained are the same for both types of buildings. Should I not be gaining a huge number of points if I chose to make a non-airconditioned building over an air-conditioned one?
A rating can act as an incentive for better work. For better awareness as well. But should a rating be the aim for doing better work? Or should we first try and get our work right. This is a reflection of our economy. The rating sytems have opened up a whole new market of green technologies and consultants. Its like an ISO company cerification. A leed / griha certification will get credibility to the building . And hence green buildings are adopting newer and better technologies. Its a positive change from the archaic concepts of technology. These new technologies are changing to sensitize themselves for varied conditions. More people are trying to 'do their bit' and change for the better. The definition of better can always be debated, but the pocket greens are surely grinning.
architecture: Ecology and architecture.....finding a connect
1.Ecology: Closely related to physiology, evolution, genetics and behaviour.
Environment: Surroundings of an object.
Ecology is not synonymous with environment!
Shelter: Basic structure that provides cover ( for any organism)
Ecosystem: Where all such shelters of different organisms co-exist.
Architecture: Art and science of designing and constructing physical structures, Demonstrated in shelters of all organisms.
Point to be noted: For humans, architecture is not only about shelter. We make varied spaces for institutional, industrial, and above all commercial use.
2.As a species, we humans have already transgressed the threshold from a sustenance based lifestyle to an out and out commerce based lifestyle. Our building activity is not just for making homes for ourselves. There is money to be made from building. Money to be made from selling spaces. And in this commerce loop, we have suddenly woken up to our concern towards the environment. The environment here means immediate physical surrounds.
3.Green architecture has thus evolved from that need to alter something in our construction practices so that our immediate surrounds are less harmed. This is an educated, scientific approach to better our construction practices. Rating systems have come about to incentivize this without creating a monetary loss. They prescribe best practices of construction. They prescribe parameters of human comfort and recommend technologies like renewable energy, recycling of water, conditioning of air so that an ideal environment can be achieved. Recommendations also include ethical labour practices, ensuring conservation of local flora and fauna.
4.Whether a green-building-rating-system achieves a positive effect on the ecosystem, is still to be debated. The market economy defines and dictates competition which is also the basis of a green building rating system. It is based on growth, expansion and a linear process of resource usage.
5. An ecologically sensitive approach would perhaps at first question the need and scale of the project . The use of resources and their restoration will be checked. A rating system could have been pushed to oblivion if best practices are affordable and possible, for anyone and everyone. It can be a bountiful natural approach towards 'building as per need' with appropriate technology ( not necessarily the latest technology).
6. In the present scenario Green building rating systems like Leed, Griha, Ecohousing etc have surely created a rising curiosity amongst all. The future looks bright for growth of green technologies. To conclude with architecture, it just seems to have grown a new facet with the buzzword being ‘environment friendly’. Afterall there are no parameters to grade friendship!
comment: Don martin dept.
My favourite cartoonist, though a bit vulgar, brings satire and humour in the silliest of situations. This humour is very similar to what I share with my gang of friends from college. Its bizarre, imaginative, and full of improvisations. Getting that sense of humour while we work, particularly at construction sites is totally useful.Its such a mix of people working at a site. Clients and architects add spice to it. It can be berry berry entertaining. About him from wiki: 
Don Martin (May 18, 1931 – January 6, 2000) was an American cartoonist whose best-known work was published in Mad from 1956 to 1988. His popularity and prominence was such that the magazine promoted Martin as "Mad's Maddest Artist."Martin's immediately recognizable drawing style (which featured bulbous noses, and the famous hinged foot) was loose, rounded and filled with broad slapstick. His inspirations, plots and themes were often bizarre and at times bordered on the berserk.
comment: 'पता हि नाही चला प्यार कब हो गया'
No this aint a romance. Im talking about love that i share with friends, and a city which i have grown to love. I was away from Pune for more than a year and I missed it a lot. When asked what was it that I missed, the first thing I said was 'friends'. Family followed after that.
I don't know when i surpassed that line of sharing everything with parents. I graduated to friends. Yes ofcourse i had the best of friends in Bangalore as well. But there is something in the city of Pune which allows for friendship to bloom and be appreciated. It can be savoured and celebrated beyond societal norms. Malls, shopping, discotheques was never really my world. But long conversations over a cuppa. Watching movies at cheap theatres , film and music festivals. good libraries and trying to read a few comics in free at bookstores were usual events. Extravaganza never excited me. In school we would tease anybody who would try to show off in english. ( though ours was an engish medium school). i felt comfortable in my mother tongue and was glad that i was not forced to be english speaking. i was educated in the english language. Not showing off, being down to earth, being with the poor... were values which my school inculcated. and mine was one of the most common schools in pune.
Sports is important. Thankfully due to the many universities and schools around, there are many facilities in the city. For anybody who has less aspirations in terms of luxury, and more towards the essentials like good company...pune is the place to be. Which other city would truly appreciate and celebrate the fact that an afternoon nap is just so important! Indian climate demands for a power nap. And if one is able to earn 2 meals a day with that, why not? its the various coffee shops and chai amrutulyas which define this culture. What does one need, but a bench to serve tea! And what does one need but a bench to have a nice long conversation with a friend?
I dont like to see my friends working for multinationals and spending their holidays working long hours. i feel a bit sad when another friend enters hinjewadi ( the IT hub). some of my friends travel the longest time as they reach the autocluster at chakan for their jobs. Yes pune has grown from the sleepy town that it was to the new business destination that it is. It has brought in money, and an economic advantage. I just hope I can still continue to catch up with friends over a cup of tea every evening.....
architecture: Sorting out plumbing in order to reuse waste water
This post is technical and meant for architects, plumbers, and anybody who doesnt mind reading about plumbing pipes. Taking the case of my existing house, this diagram explains the change in plumbing.
Existing scenario: like in most houses/apartments a 3" diameter pipe carries down water ( all lesser smelling type) to the gully trap. These are in blue. The diagram shows the uses from where it comes together-bath, wash, hand wash,kitchen.They are routed to the gully trap first and then from there water goes to the inspection chamber.
what we did: Kitchen water should be excluded from the reed bed because it has a lot of organic content ( read food particles) which can cause smell later. Hence we made a separate connection for kitchen water to enter into the gully trap.
The rest of the waste followed the usual route. But we cut the pipe before it entered the gully trap. We turned it and routed it to the reed bed. (picture in earlier post). From the reed bed it entered a small storage tank. , There is no need for large storage because the flow of water is now daily as per the household's washing habits. So the tank is an old half drum brought from Juna bazaar for 250rs. ( about 120 ltrs which is enough to water the garden)
An overflow pipe was given to carry excess water to the inspection chamber. We did this with the help of a nahni trap( seen in the picture). it had a water seal so that there is no smell returning up from the inspection chamber.
The third part was worked out with the gardener where a convenient and secure location of the pump was decided and a pipe ran from the storage tank to the pump. a drip irrigation system was put in place. But as there is a regular supply of water the drips were removed and larger holes were made on the distribution pipes.
If you have sugestions or corrections on this, do write to me at shutterbugpoojaATyahoo.co.in. If you wish to explain this to your plumber i could provide the same in marathi/hindi as well.
architecture:Grey water treatment at my house
These are pictures of grey water treatment I did at my house. It is a basic sand filter with canna. the water is collected in a small drum and then passed by drip irrigation to the garden.More explanation, costs and diy stuff to come later.
Water: rainwater harvesting
http://www.youtube.com/user/zenrainman#p/u/148/OOWHv3a_hjg
Apologies for my english inflicted marathi. Thats a video taken at biome environmental solutions(bangalore), where i worked for a long time. Thanks to Vishwanath sir, there are more such videos explaining rainwater harvesting in more languages. This particular one is taken at our office which was designed by Chitra. It was designed along with this system of chains, filter and tank.The tank is large because bangalore does not get water for 2-3 days and it is hugely dependent on borewell supply.hence more storage.
If you are in Pune with an existing house you need not always invest in a big tank for long term storage.Pune has a daily pmc supply of water and hence our tanks have always been small, 800-1000ltrs per family. R.w.h need not be done for long term storage ( as we dont not really face scarcity), but for better usage of pmc water. So when rainwater is there, we can close our pmc chlorinated water supply. In this way we are actually saving a lot of water in the dam which can thus be used for areas which face scarcity. So when it rains, we let the rains fill into our tank first and then allow the rest to be filled by pmc supply. Rainwater is pure and drinkable.
In pune most of the new apartments are coming with these intiatives from the inception stage. But the old houses and apartments in the city can adapt by a few changes. Typically if you can locate your downtake pipes ( pipes which carry water from your terrace to ground) then you can direct them towards your underground tank / हौद . The way to manage the first rain separator, ad filter can be best decided after looking at the existing scene which your house has.
What I did at my house:
My house is a 35 year old ground plus one bungalow with existing plumbing and downtake pipes. We changed one of the pipes coming down. This brings down water from approximately 160sqft or roof area.
picture 1: shows the filter drum located in our 7' setback. The pipe is seen going down, which runs to our underground water tank.
picture 2: shows the downtake pipe. it was changed to pvc at one point. A Y joint was introduced. Water always flows downwards by gravity. But the straight pipe at the bottom has a closing valve. so the water starts filling up till it reaches the Y joint. Then it will flow over to the adjacent pipe and fall into the filter drum. This is how the first rain gets caught in the straight pipe and the latter flows over into the filter.
picture 3,4: the drum is lined by mosquito mesh. it is then filled with gravel खडी ,coarse sand जाड वाळू , fine sand बारीक वाळू .
visit to the narmada river valley-a travelogue
a photoblog on a week long visit to the nandurbar region of the narmada river valley.
comment: Singapore's salient features which you wont get on a travel website.
I spent 10 days in singapore. watched the Formula one race, roamed the country in mrt and bus. Got the local flavour of people, food, luxury, cosmopolitanism, shopping and nature. Here are some fun points which I would recall for my friends on returning:
1. Singapore has no natural resources of its own. It is conscious of this fact and hence has detailed out plans for the next few decades.
2. It is a socialist democracy. The country is almost run by a family, and it is these people who have got the country to the peak with their meticulous planning.
3. Singapore treats all its sewage to drinking water quality. It also imports water from neighbouring countries
4. Huge incentives are given for singaporean children to go abroad, return back and add to the talent pool of the country.
5. Incentives are given to many companies to set up shop in singapore.
Initially to start investment, a petroleum based company was the largest employer. However the planners were careful to not pollute their own water and disposed of the waste in a way without harming their own shoreline
6.A student from India studying in singapore can get loans in Singapore with zero interest which can even get waivered if he/she signs a bond and works for longer in singapore itself.
7. The university of singapore is ranked 5th in the world.
8. Waste managemnt in singapore is not yet a good system. Waste segregation is not done at source in households.
9.It is the only city to host a formula one race at night, and on the city roads. The circuit is within the city on existing roads.
10. Private cars in singapore are taxed 4 times costlier than the same in India or any other country.
11. They shoot crows and sometimes pigeons .
12.Its aim is to be the world city of asia. Hence a huge number of expats are a part of the population.
13. The housing development boards are the chief providers of housing colonies.
14. The plumbing pipes are kept exposed in all HDB's ( housing devp boards). So the bathrooms have the soil and water pipes running around the ceiling and sides and the p and s traps are clearly visible. So is the sound. It is a good place to study plumbing :)
15. Food and drinks are not allowed at mrt stations and inside the trains.
16. The urban scape is extremely monotonous because most of the buildings are HDB's. Some areas are specifically designed to have character. Eg: Little India, holland village, china town, club street, orchard road, etc.Otherwise looking out of the mrt is extremely boring.
17.Websites for public transport are excellent. If you feed them the start and end point they spit out the route which is the shortest and the best combination of Mrt and bus.
18. Information is displayed everywhere, hence asking a person eg: busdriver, always surprises the bus driver and it is not appreciated.
19. The seating at the bus stops is done at a diagonal, so one doesn't have to turn the neck everytime to see the bus coming.
20. Fashion trends are followed and everybody wears short shorts to overcome the sultry weather. People take an effort to dress up.
21.many of the mrt stations can be entered and exited through shopping malls.
22. There is a travel card which just needs to be tapped at the entrance and exit of every bus/mrt station. it automatically deducts the mount at the exit points after you tap.
23. leaves, flowers, fruits on roadside trees are govt property and nobody plucks, touches or lifts them. Mangoes fall down, and decay. Nobody picks and eats.
24. It has one of the oldest tropical rainforests in its central reserve forest which is also a catchment for water. the trees reach upto 8-9 floors.
25. The supreme court building is designed by norman foster with a ufo like disk on top which holds the court rooms. The building is ridiculously empty. It almost makes us wonder if there is no crime at all in singapre. perhaps yes.
26. The newspapers of singapore are extremly boring and most of the times carry only economic news from other countries.
27. The maximum working class are philipinos, bangladeshis, and tamizh.
28. The muhammad mustaffa mart located in little india is open 24 hours. so people actually go shopping at 3 and 4 in the mornings also.
29. There are restaurants with cuisines from all over the world.
30. Buses are extremely slow and even cyclists overtake them. However the frequency is excellent.
architecture:Reusing soap water- a case study from pune
Pune is a city which does not have any scarcity of water. However water is inequitably distributed. Areas which lie within the bowl around the rivers have plentiful supply. Whereas all the newer constructions around the fringe areas have very little supply. The following is a way for existing houses within Pune to make better use of the water that they are getting.This includes bungalows and apartment complexes. The aim is to reuse bath and basin water for gardening/car washing/ flushing. Let us reserve chlorinated purified municipal water for the better needs of the city.
Example of a bungalow with existing plumbing:
There are two types of waste water pipes coming out of our bathrooms. One which carries toilet water( 4" thicker pipe). Another which carries bath +kitchen water ( 3" or smaller).This is called the grey water pipe. The toilet pipe comes down and goes underground into the inspection chamber. The grey water pipe comes down and ends in a gully trap.( a 1'x9" rectangular lid on the floor placed at the bottom of the pipe along the building) The water then flows from the gully trap into the IC .( we do not see this part as it is underground)
The system:
1.change plumbing and rerouting
2. Filter bed
3. storage tank
4. distribution to garden
Plumbing change:
What we do is cut the grey water pipe before it enters the gully trap. Divert the water to a treatment process which will filter it. we collect the filtered water in a tank and use it for gardening. The excess water from the tank overflows back into the inspection chamber.
The filter bed:
This is an open longish tank of capacity of approximately 3-4 times the volume of our daily output of water. For example, if each person in the family of 4 is using 2 buckets of water for a bath, the total output is about 8 buckets ( each bucket is generally 12-18ltrs ). A washing machine takes 2-3 buckets for a wash. So lets say everyday about 300 ltrs of water is produced which will be going for the garden. Thus make an open tank of capacity 900 ltrs ( 3 times volume). This tank is usually of a size of 3' x 8' with 2' depth and open to sky. Ideally a good sunlit area is ideal for the water to be treated well. Pune setback rules generally allow for a minimum of 7' setback on all sides and this tank fits within the setback sizes.
Filter media:
Fill the tank with gravel and sand. This is called a slow sand filter. Plant it with Canna( kardaL in marathi) or australian phragmites grass ( borTa). These are water loving plants and they absorb most of the soap too.
Storage capacity of grey water tank:
The water produced for the tank depends on number of people in the house who are having baths, washing clothes. Hence there is a daily supply of water which is typically at its peak in the mornings. The storage tank can hence be of minimum capacity as regular daily supply is ensured.
Garden requirements:
A pipe based system is preferred instead of spraying the water by hand because it is advised that grey water should not be sprayed/ or handled.
Plants can be supplied grey water everyday morning by a pipe which permanently runs along the base and which has holes. A pump can be installed on the storage tank which will send water to the entire garden. Most drip irrigation systems are designed for scarcity of water and hence output of water from the nozzles is very low. In our case there is ample and regular supply of water. And hence a simple hose with sufficient holes can be used.
Smell:
The water does not smell. If there is a lot of production at a time, then a slight musky smell might come, not unhealthy or bad. As there is no decaying matter/organic content in the water, it is already much clean. The water always flows below the filter bed and hence is never exposed to air. So there is least chance of smell /mosquito breeding.
comment: Kids at the orphanage
A bunch of us college mates have been going to an orphanage near our college for about 6-7 years. We visit the place every few months, sometimes on occasions, or just to check if they are all happy and fine. Kids are fun, and so endearing!
personal: Do you hear the call in you?
I live in a dream world, and I have people around me who keep pulling me back into reality.
I am a 26year old girl. Caught in the cracks between the boxes in this world, I feel I have seen too much to know where I belong to. I dont know where I belong. I want to be the wild child, living her dreams, doing exactly what I want,..just this free child enjoying every moment. And then I want to be the person who can give love, like the people who have made my life so beautiful. I feel like doing that bit to make their dreams come true, even if it makes my life hard. I look at society's norms and understandings, and i feel like squeezing myself in some slot with a little squeak saying," Im also there, dont ingnore me, Dont push me out please". How must a child be feeling when he is not accepted in a family. Perhaps he would rebel. I feel our society is harsh on some people. Yes, even i feel like living my dreams. I want to roam around, do exactly what I want, be volatile, but responsible for my actions.Just responsible for myself. Sometimes i feel , why do we even value life so much. What is so precious in it that we want to adjust, squeeze, try all the time? Why not just give up and enjoy a moment like it was the last? Wouldnt life be much more exciting then? Yes, it will be dangerous. I guess being wild comes with the understanding, that you are on your own trip. A wild person cannot be tamed, and hence cannot be befriended. Because you never know when the animal might turn back. Not knowingly, but because its his nature. He cant help it.
I feel the wild in me calling me many a times. But i have been tamed. I have been brought up in a domestic world. As much as the wild calls, I have the rings and masters in my head which remind me- I have responsibilities, values, sanskaar. Wisdom reminds me that a family, love, sacrifice, devotion, gives a satisfaction which one understands only when one goes through it. I feel really nice when I have helped someone, given myself away for someone. But I also feel very nice to play with someone as wild as me. To just let go and fly...into a dream world. Its only when one meets somebody wild can one realize what it is to be wild. And to come out of it to a civilized world is something highly creditable. I believe saints in old days had sought realization because they had realized their wild sides and yet learnt to tame themselves. They understood something about themselves. They tried to tell everyone about the same, but people like us called it age old wisdom and made it into a rule book. Why the need to control one's thoughts? why the need to understand oneself?
I presently also work with a dream in mind. I am not working for survival, but for a picture of the world that I believe in, and which I work towards. I refuse to believe that bad would happen, and yet one never knows, bad things do happen. Its the same with people,...sometimes I feel mother India was no joke! One can give and give and yet face the worst. Its quite the opposite trend nowadays with my colleagues and contemporaries. 'Its time to take destiny at hand' say tabloids, youth magazines. change the world. destiny is in our hands. And i wonder if any drop in the ocean work I do is actually going to help. Ba**s to all that. Why dont I just enjoy the life at hand to its best. Enjoy every moment in the wild.
I did that. But realized that as much fun as wild is, equally harsh can it be. There is only one true goodness, that the experience is wholesome, like biodiversity! I now respect people who have succeeded in tasting the wild and yet recovering. Be it in their beliefs, or something as silly as getting over an addiction, or overcoming vices, or staying away from bad company. hehe...i now know why parents ask us youngsters to stay away from bad company, because it can be addictive. Not the company per se, but the instinct to be wild. Its within all of us. The wild. Do you hear the call in you?
comment:Ideologies and practice.
Today I reluctantly visited Lavassa city. The architecture and design that I see there pains me. The ideologies that run it pain me more. And the more I dig into the setup I realize what a dirty business real estate has become. Architects are just the cherry on top trying to beautify things after the dirt has been cleared. Dirt would commonly be referred to as the people who were previously occupying the place- tribal, peasants, common dwellers( we havent even talked about the flora and fauna yet)
I was always inspired by architects who believed in the social strength of architecture. They touched the lives of people for whom we build and also with whom we build. The few architects whose work I believed in was Laurie baker and Kabeer bajpai( Vinyas). I talk of these poeple because I have known enough about them to know them in person, which i beleive is as important as knowing their work. Kabeer ji works with children, and education spaces. The basic principles which i appreciated of them was the love and respect for nature, for understanding and respecting need, and prioritizing it over greed, luxury and false aesthetics.
I believe in using local labour, local skills, trying to make processes labour intensive and indegenious. Architects should be able to give back to society through processes that they design. But do we have any influence on where the process starts? The socio economics of it? Today I realized what a mess lavassa corporation had made out of the tribals who were unwilling to vacate land. The fear and insecurity was unimaginable. The people who fall prey to land sharks are living a fearful existence. Where does the land go? straight for building luxurious shopping complexes, promenades. It will fulfill the vision of a complete city which some architect must have chalked out with the best of his urban planning skills. Today I realized how little my zone of influence as an architect was in that matter. Architecture is so shallow as a profession! or have me made it to be so? Perhaps all this is beyond profession, and more about society and modern day economics.
An architect may design beautiful spaces built by local materials, but at no point will he be able to reconcile with the people who were moved out in the process. The design briefs will still be decided as per needs of the developer. lavassa would still demand a 5 star hotel in the same space and the architect just builds it with the best he can.So as an architect i cannot ask questions on who existed on the land before. Was it got under good/bad means. I just design for the best satisfaction of my client with principles of building (verb) that i believe in.
Lets see the magnitude of influence I have around me. I will try to employ local labour, local skills, and with minimum influence on the ecology. It shall be restorative rather than degrading.So maybe about 50 local people at the max will get influenced in the process of this building.
For comparison lets consider the construction of a burj-al-arab in dubai, or a 100 floor skyscraper in mumbai, . Labour will be employed in huge numbers.Ecological footprint is humongous, but who cares about that?. Look at the influence on people. People transported by plane loads from south india. Lots of economy churn around. No reference to resource/energy consumption, but yes 'job oppurtunities aplenty'.People are prospering. This is the growth pattern of our modern times. It is the lifepattern that has brought us middle class people to where we are today. It has got me to be able to have a house and a laptop on which i type right now. It is the industries which have created the income generation.
As an architect when I suggest that we build less, build with natural materials, use only local materials, save water...I just wonder which part of earth and humanity I am influencing. I just have to remind myself that somewhere there are people like the original tribals of lavassa, narmada, and our forest resources for whom this would matter. And it would matter at the thin line of existence, much unlike our ever aspiring urban needs.( a world class planned city?!)
It is the well educated lot of us who have already migrated,urbanized who are siphoning away the resources. It is of no use trying to alleviate poverty and bridge gaps in society unless the society of which I am a part actually stops raping the subsistence on which the poor live. As professionals, if each one of us gets the moral dose we would be a better distributed, sensitive society. And hence the need for honest doctors, honest media, honest loyars, honest architects and honest people. Is it too much to ask from our educated lot?
architecture:Geology, groundwater and watersheds- architects take notice!
I did a short study course in ' understanding groundwater management with a focus towards water shed development'.
a)shallow
b)deep.One can imagine the deeper aquifer to be this extensive sheet rock with several spaces and pores which has trapped water under tremendous pressure. Remember, it is a rock with some water inside. All geologists indicate water tables as a blue colour flowing under the surface. Its not so! It is just a porous rock but with huge water holding capacity. Its like this swollen balloon. We prick it with borewells, and the water gushes out. That is the refill rate of our borewells. The more needles we prick, the lesser water we get.The shallow aquifer is what we also refer to as the water table. It is water that we see when we dig foundations, or the water in our old open wells. It is the water which we commonly refer to as groundwater. This water is dynamic. ie, It reacts to our actions. When there is heavy rain, the water level in the well rises. When we make a huge basement after pumping out water, we are actually building inside a water logged area which itself is the aquifer-the water holding belt. So we have altered the groundwater movement. The water will now find another way to move across. This is important to understand when we plan our structures.4. Now here is the bait: When we dig a perforated pipe down to the deeper aquifer, we also puncture the shallow aquifer. Thus we mix both the waters. Most of Maharashtra, andhra pradesh, karnataka suffer from fluoride rich groundwater. It causes fluorosis, a disease which has little cure. Now fluroide was always present in the deep aquifer, unknown to the villages. They were always using the shallow waters from open wells which was pure. Then one day when they started digging borewells did they realize that they have actually mixed both the waters! Rainwater harvesting is essential in such cases where there is a need to dilute the fluoride content. To use rainwater for drinking, instead of groundwater. There can be many possibilities which as an architect I need to know.5. When such a study takes me to parched lands I realize how lucky we are in Pune to be having all supplies granted away to us by the corporation. पुणेकर पाण्यात पाय घालून बसले आहेत. And plus we also water our gardens fresh purified chlorinated pmc water and enjoy bath tubs! The water that we use in our city was actually planned for canal irrigation. we are siphoning it away for our private uses. Can we now make better sense of the water that we use?
lyrics:We have a greed with which we have agreed
Oh, it's a mystery to me
We have a greed with which we have agreed
And you think you have to want more than you need
Until you have it all you won't be free
Hope you're not lonely without me...When you want more than you have
You think you need...
And when you think more than you want
Your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place
Because when you have more than you think
You need more spaceSociety, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me... There's those thinking, more-or-less, less is more
But if less is more, how you keeping score?
Means for every point you make, your level drops
Kinda like you're starting from the top
You can't do that... Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...Society, have mercy on me
Hope you're not angry if I disagree...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
-from the movie Into the wild, music: eddie vedder.
