Pune builders get smarter, adopt to technology to save water

Pune: With delay in monsoon and paucity of water has got city builders to adopt new technologies in their project that can cut down high water consumption.

Taking a lead, Pune-based Gera Developments announced that in light of the deficient rainfall, the company would shift from water-based curing to chemical curing for their current projects and would continue it till the water situation in the district improves. The move could reduce water consumption by over 25 million litres of water used for curing. With the state gearing up for what looks like a drought–like situation for the third consecutive year, the authorities are imposing restrictions on the water consumption on industries like agriculture and construction.

The process of curing is an important aspect of concrete construction and all concrete structures require that a certain moisture content is maintained through the process.
Rohit Gera, managing director, Gera Developments said, “Curing water requirement for our projects typically amounts to approximately 36 litres per square foot of construction. Though the municipal corporation does not provide water for construction, the water does get used from other sources and these need to be preserved. As a socially conscious developer, we feel that the increased cost of construction of 1.5 to 2 per cent is something that we should bear, given the potential crisis looming ahead in case the rains are as deficient as predicted.”
When asked what initiatives have been taken up by other developers, they took claimed to have recently taken decisions to reduce the water consumption at projects.

City Corporation’s Amanora Park Town recently installed an Indo-European researched project NaWaTech- a Natural Water Technology project that works to bring down per capita water consumption norms from 150 liters to 90 liters per day. Speaking about the project, Aniruddha Deshpande, manging director, “Water requirement in a township is high and to cut down this requirement we introduced the NaWaTech project at Amanora. With which we hope to save water and conserve environment through reusing water to optimum level. Under this project 40 M3/ day waste water from one of the sector of the township will be treated in SBR and MBR technology pilot plant up to tertiary level and used for gardening & flushing within Township.” He added the project will help them treat about 10 lakh litre of sewage water at Amanora everyday from which 7.5 lakhs will be reutilised through flush tanks and other medium thus putting less burden of water demand on civic body. Some other developers say they have introduced long term changes in projects over the years to reduce water requirements as they believe one should not react during a scarcity but a long term solution should be sought.

DS Kulkarni, Chairman and MD, DS Kulkarni Developers opined, “The problem of water scarcity is only spoken when the scarcity hits us, which is very wrong. I believe that creating means to save water when we have excess of it is the only correct method. And therefore in all of my old and new projects the first thing that is done is the installation of rain water harvesting plants.”
Yet another builder from Pune, Sanjay Deshpande, director of Sanjeevani Developers said, “In most of our projects we have fitted dual flush tanks, which comes only at a mere cost of Rs 900 and can save a high amount of water. As recycling of drainage water is costly affair we can seek help from MSEB asking power supply to water recycling plants at very low tariff like agriculture pumps. But for bigger colonies it is mandatory to have drainage treatment plants.”
He further added, “The societies should make their water audit which consists of checking all the water line systems periodically as well have water meter on the down take lines. This will give us an idea about the consumption of water. The public bodies should make metered water supply only and we should try and have bore well water for non domestic purposes like gardening to flushing to save ourselves from the problem of water scarcity.”