Community Based Water Resource Management with Emphasis on Natural Water Quality Improvement & Resource Recovery

Salient Features

• Project Period: 5 Years in 2 phases; Phase-1: November 2000 to October 2003, Phase-2: November 2003 to October 2005
• Project Area In and around Bhubaneswar City
• Project Sites Vanivihar, Laxmisagar & BDA-Niccopark in First Phase Keshora, Rasulgarh & Chandrasekharpur in Second Phase
• Project Cost: Rs.882. 84 lakhs out of which ICEF Share is Rs. 711.71 lakhs.
• Project Beneficiaries General public of Bhubaneswar city. In particular, the population around the wetlands (around 25,000) will be reached directly. Weaker section of the society and women are special target.

Prime Stake Holders

• XIMB: Infrastructure, Office Assistance, Community Organisation, Expertise, Training etc.
• CIFA: Technical Expertise, Analytical Work, Pilot Evaluation and Training
• Different Govt. Dept. & Orgs.: Land, Technical Expertise, Statutory Clearance and Permission
• NGOs' and Civil Societies.: Expertise and General Assistance

Other Project Partners

• Utkal University, Vanivihar
• BDA-Nicco Parks & Resorts Ltd
• Fishery Department, Govt. of Orissa
• Orissa State Pollution Control Board
• Bhubaneswar Development Authority
• Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation
• General Administration Dept., Govt. of Orissa
• BASAID, Switzerland
• Local Communities at Laxmisagar, Rasulgarh & Keshora Village

Introduction

Most of our cities and towns do not even have complete and regular sewerage systems to collect wastewater from all parts, what to speak of Sewage Treatment Plants. Wherever sewer lines exist, they are not optimally functional due to lack of maintenance and care.

Therefore, a new approach to urban wastewater management is necessary. In the last few years, natural systems (ecosystems) of urban wastewater management where reuse of treated effluent or ground water recharge is intended are finding more and more acceptance. The choice of the appropriate natural ecosystems for wastewater management is necessarily location specific. Natural ecosystems are non-mechanised, cost-effective, simple, reliable and easy to design, build and maintain. Wastewater management by natural systems is mostly decentralised and cost-effective. In many cases, they are resource recovering. In short, they are sustainable systems Background

Project WATER is a collaborative Project between Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB) and Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) and funded by India Canada Environment Facility (ICEF), New Delhi. The five years Project started in November, 2000 and was inaugurated by Honorable Chief Minister of Orissa, Sri Naveen Patnaik on 25th January, 2001.

The Project is innovative to an attempt in the application of natural system in the management of wastewater based on a system of duckweed and fish ponds (Aquaculture based sewage treatment plant) developed in a pilot scale by CIFA, Bhubaneswar at Matgajpur, Cuttak .

Project WATER has taken initiatives to treat around 10 MLD wastewater in 3 wastewater drains of Bhubaneswar city during the First Phase (November, 2000 to October, 2003).

Project WATER presently is being implemented at 6 sites in Bhubaneswar City. The First Phase Sites are :

• Vani Vihar wetland in drain No. 4 where the system has been designed to treat around 4 MLD of Wastewater
• BDA Nicco Park in drain No. 10 designed to treat around 3.5 MLD of Wastewater
• Laxmi Sagar Lake adjacent to drain No. 5 developed to treat around 2.5 MLD Wastewater

Uniqueness of the Project

• It is innovative & Replicable
• Low cost and simple technique makes the urban wastewater management easy and viable
• Resource recovery makes the project sustainable
• Community involvement ensured through its participation at all stages

Inter-institutional links developed

A wide range of outputs including engineering structures, fishponds, better sanitation, pollution control, Increased capacity of the community for natural resources management, economic returns on a sustainable basis, recreational facilities at all sites, research and documentation obtained.