Engineering Approach for clean and Green water Resource
A Efforts to clean up the rivers must not be limited to bagmatic and media events.
Nepal approach for the progress in water resources for improving the safe drinking water and good sanitation must be appreciated. The work might not be remarkable but at least the work has been commenced and should appreciate for this stuff. World Water Day is celebrated every year with a vision to make the water resources safe, drinkable and maintain proper sanitation. This stuff has been commenced since 1993. Observation of this type of activities from those past days alerts us that we were concern for the water preservation since long ago. In spite of all this we are lacking behind, is this the result of negligence or we were trying to overlook the circumstance time and again. Better late than Never we have dragged our attention for the conservation and restore of its beauty. Just limiting our stuff for cleaning doesn’t embrace long term preservation. Nepal have to flash the important awareness programs time and again and should make some ground rules in order to maintain the beauty of water resources for its Sustainable management. The intention of the Bagmati River or any other Basin Management Plan is to make water more attractive for both people and wildlife. We have always used the water of Bagmati River to purify ourselves, but today we have reached a point where we have to purify this water. Over the years huge amounts of chemicals, plastic and other non-biodegradable pollutants have disturbed the ecological balance of the Bagmati River and it’s surrounding. From the late 20th century, river engineering has had environmental concerns broader than immediate human benefit and some river engineering projects as Bagmati water cleaning project for clean water flowing have been concerned exclusively with the restoration or protection of natural characteristics and habitats in different developed countries. Present scenario of Nepal depicts, these types of approach are about to be key concern. All the sewerage system within the valley is fed directly into the streams nearby. The pollutants thus being fed into the tributary streams have rendered the river useless and serve just as a wastewater drain. Rapid urbanization and absence of reliable wastewater treatment facilities are the major causes of rivers pollution. Drastic action is required to revive it to its original glory. So, Nepal needs the new engineering approach for the clean and green Rivers of Kathmandu. The cleaning approach must target the entire river network instead of limiting to certain areas.
To implement the engineering techniques for the sustainable improvement of water quality in Rivers, Major contributing factors for the polluted water in river must be identified. Waste is a key factor for polluted water so proper waste management is necessary as a first step. Generally, the wastes from the individual houses are being thrown out in the open air and also in the water sources by different means. Government should focus with a plan such as utilizing and disposing the waste in the house itself. This approach can be racket with a rule to adopt a compost pit with in a house. Segregation of decay able waste in a compost pit for production of fertilizers and management of non decay able materials with Re-use and Re-cycle approach has tremendous advantages. Meanwhile Bioengineering techniques also can be implemented for instant green River approach. This can be implemented by proper designs which help in controlling erosion. They are also aesthetically pleasing, usually self- maintaining and less expensive and also is very useful in creating streamside habitat for water life which is important component for clean and green water. Laboratory set up especially for monitoring the water quality in river is essential, this helps to conclude the gradual improvement in the water quality, make aware about the condition of water in the river and about the steps that need to be taken up for the future improvement.
We also can learn from some case study around the world. For instance, Ganga river where innovative technology had been implemented. With the help of William Oswald, an engineering professor at the University of California at Berkeley, a cost-effective and safe system for cleaning the Varanasi stretch was discovered and process was coined as an advanced integrated wastewater oxidation pond system. The non-electric wastewater system would store sewage for 45 days in biological oxidation ponds, using bacteria and algae to eliminate pesticides, heavy metals and deadly coliforms, cleansing the entire 7 kilometer stretch. The system would not only purify water but could be used to irrigate farmland and grow fish. In the same way, we also can approach with such innovative ideas through profound study, research and investigations. This vision mustn’t be limited but collective action for overall sources must be implemented which would have good impact in environment as a whole.
The Article is published in The Kathmandu Post, Op-Ed Section, National paper of Nepal
