hey everyone ,
I am happy to inform you all that we have found our partners for the Mondialogo Engg Awards 2008-09. They are as follows....
Nancy School of Geology,France:
1.Wendy STECKIEWICZ
2.Laurianne DAUBIGNEY
3.Marine BOLLARD
4.Patricia MATEO
University of Manitoba,Winipeg,Canada:
1.Amelia Traschel
2.Tetyana Litvin
3.Evelyn Kayaga
Well I am hoping that we will have a good , productive and proactive collaboration.....
cheers!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Trip to Tilonia"....... Journey to the west
Apart from going to Bhojpur,we also visited the Barefoot college in Tilonia as the people there are very well versed in rain water harvesting techniques and ground water recharge methods. These gentlemen from Tilonia have been harvesting rain water for a long time,at various locations in Rajasthan.So, this trip to Tilonia was meant to garner information regarding the techniques used and get first hand account on rain water harvesting from the people who have performed and perfected it in an arid region like Rajasthan.
As mentioned earlier;we are participating in the Mondialogo Engineering Awards and our project is related to water harvesting and management in Bhojpur. So me and two of my colleagues, Akshat and Ankit, set out for Tilonia while the rest stayed back in Bhojpur in order to survey the area and collect water samples.
In Tilonia we met one Mr.Bhagwat Ram who is the in-charge of the solar PV systems set up in Bhojpur by our seniors.On reaching we came to know that the person in-charge of rain water harvesting module in Tilonia was awayStill;Bhagwat Ramji manged to give us a fairly good idea of the techniques used by the people in Tilonia.Here is a brief outline of the main points of our discussion with Bhagwat Ramji:
1.Rainwater Harvesting:
a. Using the roof of theschool and community halls for collecting rainwater: The roof would require regular maintenance and the collected water will have to be stored in an underground tank lined with stones and cement that make the tank impervious.Bhagwat Ramji claims that this water will require no further purification and will be potable upto three-four months after the monsoons.
The underground reservoirs will have to be fitted with a hand pump at the top in order to draw water.He did mention about the first flush system wherein the first spell of rain water (approx.10mm) had to be flushed out.
b.Harvesting runoff water:The other technique mentioned by him was that of harvesting runoff water which seemed possible after considering the topography of Bhojpur.Herein the flow of
water down the slope is directed through man made channels towards the wells to recharge groundwater.He suggested that we dig a pit next to the well so as to separate the silt out of the water.The silt will get separated by the action of gravity.
c. When we mentioned that in Bhojpur;only the water from the two wells near the pond is potable,he suggested that we dig more wells in the proximity of the pond such that the
appropriate water level in the pond could be ensured.These wells should be dug along the slope of the pond.
d.He mentioned about an R-O plant recently setup in a village nearby but also added that it was very expensive.
2. Solar Water Pumps:
The variants commonly available in the market are;
1800W :- Cost:Rs.4-5 lakh
Efficient upto 20 meters
Capability to draw 1 lakh liters everyday
800W :- Cost:Rs.2.5lakh
Efficient upto 20 to 25 feet.
Capability to draw upto 25000 liters everyday
Apart from the cost;another drawback of using solar pumps,as pointed out by him,was that the consumption of water by the villagers increases on installing solar pumps as it would be easier to obtain water in comparison with the laborious task of using a rope and a vessel to draw water.
3.Solar Lanterns:
a. 7W CFL
10 W module
12V A.C. battery--battery life upto 3 days
Rs.4000
b. 20W PV systems
9W lamps (2)
Rs.8000
c. 40W PV systems
75W lamps (4)
Rs.15000
d. 37W panel (Rs.15000)
2 CFLs (Rs.450 each)
12V-8A charge controller
4.His Suggestions on other issues:
Women Health :He pointed out the fact that rural women have always been hesitant to convey their discomfort or any sort of abnormal body function to doctors or any health incharge.Barefoot College regularly organises medical camps specially for women so as to provide them with basic medication.
Employment :Generating some kind of employment with the active participation of women will be helpful in providing an extra source of income to the villagers.Animal husbandry and handicrafts (something women are good at) were what he suggested.
5.Calculations:
He mentioned that a feet cube of volume was enough to store 27 liters of water.According to our calculations 80 houses (having 4 members each) would theoretically require 6,13,200 lakh liters of water for a year.Hence, the reservoir we are planning to make has to dimensioned taking into consideration the amount of water we hope to harvest when the rainfall is at its peak.
6.Some important contacts:
** Mr.Ram Karanji
The person in-charge of the R.W.H section of the Barefoot College
Contact:01463 288210/288351 - extension 223
After the discussions with Mr.Bhagwat Ramji,we checked out the different types of Rainwater Harvestins Systems they were using.The current system in-use used PVC pipes that were connected in a "T" fashion into the underground tank as collectors. Each tank was provided with a hand pump. This hand pump had a recycle system where the excess water was collected and used for underground recharge.
As mentioned earlier;we are participating in the Mondialogo Engineering Awards and our project is related to water harvesting and management in Bhojpur. So me and two of my colleagues, Akshat and Ankit, set out for Tilonia while the rest stayed back in Bhojpur in order to survey the area and collect water samples.
In Tilonia we met one Mr.Bhagwat Ram who is the in-charge of the solar PV systems set up in Bhojpur by our seniors.On reaching we came to know that the person in-charge of rain water harvesting module in Tilonia was awayStill;Bhagwat Ramji manged to give us a fairly good idea of the techniques used by the people in Tilonia.Here is a brief outline of the main points of our discussion with Bhagwat Ramji:
1.Rainwater Harvesting:
a. Using the roof of theschool and community halls for collecting rainwater: The roof would require regular maintenance and the collected water will have to be stored in an underground tank lined with stones and cement that make the tank impervious.Bhagwat Ramji claims that this water will require no further purification and will be potable upto three-four months after the monsoons.
The underground reservoirs will have to be fitted with a hand pump at the top in order to draw water.He did mention about the first flush system wherein the first spell of rain water (approx.10mm) had to be flushed out.
b.Harvesting runoff water:The other technique mentioned by him was that of harvesting runoff water which seemed possible after considering the topography of Bhojpur.Herein the flow of
water down the slope is directed through man made channels towards the wells to recharge groundwater.He suggested that we dig a pit next to the well so as to separate the silt out of the water.The silt will get separated by the action of gravity.
c. When we mentioned that in Bhojpur;only the water from the two wells near the pond is potable,he suggested that we dig more wells in the proximity of the pond such that the
appropriate water level in the pond could be ensured.These wells should be dug along the slope of the pond.
d.He mentioned about an R-O plant recently setup in a village nearby but also added that it was very expensive.
2. Solar Water Pumps:
The variants commonly available in the market are;
Efficient upto 20 meters
Capability to draw 1 lakh liters everyday
800W :- Cost:Rs.2.5lakh
Efficient upto 20 to 25 feet.
Capability to draw upto 25000 liters everyday
Apart from the cost;another drawback of using solar pumps,as pointed out by him,was that the consumption of water by the villagers increases on installing solar pumps as it would be easier to obtain water in comparison with the laborious task of using a rope and a vessel to draw water.
3.Solar Lanterns:
a. 7W CFL
10 W module
12V A.C. battery--battery life upto 3 days
Rs.4000
b. 20W PV systems
9W lamps (2)
Rs.8000
c. 40W PV systems
75W lamps (4)
Rs.15000
d. 37W panel (Rs.15000)
2 CFLs (Rs.450 each)
12V-8A charge controller
4.His Suggestions on other issues:
Women Health :He pointed out the fact that rural women have always been hesitant to convey their discomfort or any sort of abnormal body function to doctors or any health incharge.Barefoot College regularly organises medical camps specially for women so as to provide them with basic medication.
Employment :Generating some kind of employment with the active participation of women will be helpful in providing an extra source of income to the villagers.Animal husbandry and handicrafts (something women are good at) were what he suggested.
5.Calculations:
He mentioned that a feet cube of volume was enough to store 27 liters of water.According to our calculations 80 houses (having 4 members each) would theoretically require 6,13,200 lakh liters of water for a year.Hence, the reservoir we are planning to make has to dimensioned taking into consideration the amount of water we hope to harvest when the rainfall is at its peak.
6.Some important contacts:
** Mr.Ram Karanji
The person in-charge of the R.W.H section of the Barefoot College
Contact:01463 288210/288351 - extension 223
After the discussions with Mr.Bhagwat Ramji,we checked out the different types of Rainwater Harvestins Systems they were using.The current system in-use used PVC pipes that were connected in a "T" fashion into the underground tank as collectors. Each tank was provided with a hand pump. This hand pump had a recycle system where the excess water was collected and used for underground recharge.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Registration!!
We have successfully registered for participation in the Mondialogo Engineering Awards 2009.
Our project title is: Improving Rural Health and Economic Conditions by Sustainable Water Management and Women Empowerment.
Also;we added a brief project description which is as follows:
Bhojpur is a little village of around 1000 people,72 km off the city of Jaipur,Rajasthan,India.The villagers rely solely on groundwater for their day to day needs.However the hardness,organic and most importantly the fluoride content are dangerously high rendering the water non potable.Consumption of this water poses a severe threat of fluorosis. Our objective is to ensure sustainable water management and alleviate the living standards of the villagers in general and the womenfolk in particular.We propose to achieve sustainable water management by: 1)Conventional rooftop rainwater harvesting
2)Recharge of groundwater
3)Treatment of contaminated well water and installation of filters.
Through a comprehensive business plan,we intend to generate a large spectrum of opportunities that suit the needs of the villagers ensuring eventual self-sufficiency of the village with women empowerment as the epicenter.
Our project title is: Improving Rural Health and Economic Conditions by Sustainable Water Management and Women Empowerment.
Also;we added a brief project description which is as follows:
Bhojpur is a little village of around 1000 people,72 km off the city of Jaipur,Rajasthan,India.The villagers rely solely on groundwater for their day to day needs.However the hardness,organic and most importantly the fluoride content are dangerously high rendering the water non potable.Consumption of this water poses a severe threat of fluorosis. Our objective is to ensure sustainable water management and alleviate the living standards of the villagers in general and the womenfolk in particular.We propose to achieve sustainable water management by: 1)Conventional rooftop rainwater harvesting
2)Recharge of groundwater
3)Treatment of contaminated well water and installation of filters.
Through a comprehensive business plan,we intend to generate a large spectrum of opportunities that suit the needs of the villagers ensuring eventual self-sufficiency of the village with women empowerment as the epicenter.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Introduction: Richa
Hi,
I am Richa Prakash Choudhary, a student of 3rd yr B.Tech. Computer Engg. at MNIT,Jaipur.I belong to Sikar(a district near Jaipur).I was born in a small village near Sikar,spent my early childhood there and then moved to the city and did my schooling there.
Having experienced village life myself,I have always had a strong desire to work towards the improvement in the living standard of the villagers and this project provides me with this opportunity,though I don't have any previous experience regarding this.
In the long run I wish to work for the betterment of rural life in the areas of education, agriculture and political awareness.My areas of interest are mainly history, contemporary politics and sociology.I am a big movie buff...love to watch fiction n thrillers.I like reading books,mags and newspapers and also cycling and traveling.
I am Richa Prakash Choudhary, a student of 3rd yr B.Tech. Computer Engg. at MNIT,Jaipur.I belong to Sikar(a district near Jaipur).I was born in a small village near Sikar,spent my early childhood there and then moved to the city and did my schooling there.
Having experienced village life myself,I have always had a strong desire to work towards the improvement in the living standard of the villagers and this project provides me with this opportunity,though I don't have any previous experience regarding this.
In the long run I wish to work for the betterment of rural life in the areas of education, agriculture and political awareness.My areas of interest are mainly history, contemporary politics and sociology.I am a big movie buff...love to watch fiction n thrillers.I like reading books,mags and newspapers and also cycling and traveling.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Introduction : Akshat
Hi everyone..
I am Akshat Shukla, currently a fifth semester student of Electronics and Communication Engineering at MNIT,Jaipur.I am basically from Anand, a small place in Gujarat, famous for its largest milk dairy in Asia (i.e AMUL) and most number of surrogate mothers.
Apart from academics what thrills me the most is analyzing the stock markets. I enjoy playing lawn tennis .What attracted me to be a part of this team is the task at our hands -- creating something handy for the rural folks using our skills, which ultimately leads to their upliftment .It is like putting our knowledge to test, and I love doing that, specially when the test is not on paper.
I am Akshat Shukla, currently a fifth semester student of Electronics and Communication Engineering at MNIT,Jaipur.I am basically from Anand, a small place in Gujarat, famous for its largest milk dairy in Asia (i.e AMUL) and most number of surrogate mothers.
Apart from academics what thrills me the most is analyzing the stock markets. I enjoy playing lawn tennis .What attracted me to be a part of this team is the task at our hands -- creating something handy for the rural folks using our skills, which ultimately leads to their upliftment .It is like putting our knowledge to test, and I love doing that, specially when the test is not on paper.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Introduction : Suvha
Hi,
My name is Suvha Lama.I hail from Darjeeling, the queen of hills . I am doing my B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Techology,Jaipur. I am in third year now.
For me Mondialogo has been a boon,no less. It has opened new avenues for me . On a personal front, I came to know more about myself and my interests.
Bhojpur is a very pleasant place and so are its people.They are very helpful and always lend a helping hand no matter what. When I put myself in their shoes, I could feel their pain.After witnessing their living conditions and the determination and benignity with which they face life ,I truly understood the meaning of the phrase "making something out of nothing". So I was thoroughly inspired to do something just to see a glimmer of hope in those eyes always bright and full of energy amidst the chaos.The people there are very humble.They will be happy even if there is someone to just lend a ear to them.
After Bhojpur, my life has never been the same.I realised that our life when compared to theirs is a cake walk.
My name is Suvha Lama.I hail from Darjeeling, the queen of hills . I am doing my B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Techology,Jaipur. I am in third year now.
For me Mondialogo has been a boon,no less. It has opened new avenues for me . On a personal front, I came to know more about myself and my interests.
Bhojpur is a very pleasant place and so are its people.They are very helpful and always lend a helping hand no matter what. When I put myself in their shoes, I could feel their pain.After witnessing their living conditions and the determination and benignity with which they face life ,I truly understood the meaning of the phrase "making something out of nothing". So I was thoroughly inspired to do something just to see a glimmer of hope in those eyes always bright and full of energy amidst the chaos.The people there are very humble.They will be happy even if there is someone to just lend a ear to them.
After Bhojpur, my life has never been the same.I realised that our life when compared to theirs is a cake walk.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Introduction : Ankit
My name is Ankit Singh. I am a student of Civil Engineering at Malaviya National Institute of Technology,Jaipur.
I enjoy travelling and photography apart from music and creative designing .I am a hard core counter strike fan.I have a passion for automobiles and would love to see myself designing a few of them in the near future.I am an outspoken person and like communicating with people from different spheres of life,cultures and parts of the world and getting to know their perspective on various issues.I am always on the lookout for good oppurtunities which can provide me with some great value addition.
For me, Mondialogo is very special.It provides me a platform for using my technical and soft skills to work towards the betterment of the society.It is wonderful to see the use of what you study in the real world.Also, I perceive this as an oppurtunity to give something back to society.It is great to see people from all over the world come together and provide solutions to the major problems we face today.I am glad to be a part of such a group that is trying to change the lives of people,though in a small but effective way.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Introduction : Shweta
Hey everyone,
I'm Shweta Sivasankaran , doing my 3rd year Chem Engg. in Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan.I hail from a small State in the southern tip of The Indian peninsula called Kerala (popularly known as 'God's own Country'- so i guess that makes me an Angel :-) ). The verdant tropical greenery there is vibrant and shapes the attitudes of its natives to a great extent. Jaipur is a contrast, but I love it here despite a lot less rainfall :-). I hold a passion for music and dance and share an interest in reading.Being a part of the Mondialogo team is important to me since I would be able to do something that would benefit a village- the heartland of my country which the scorching national economical growth in the past decade has left largely untouched. More than drawing up plans on paper, I will strive to give something tangible to the village of Bhojpur which can improve their life and enrich their community. I am prepared to work to this end.
I'm Shweta Sivasankaran , doing my 3rd year Chem Engg. in Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan.I hail from a small State in the southern tip of The Indian peninsula called Kerala (popularly known as 'God's own Country'- so i guess that makes me an Angel :-) ). The verdant tropical greenery there is vibrant and shapes the attitudes of its natives to a great extent. Jaipur is a contrast, but I love it here despite a lot less rainfall :-). I hold a passion for music and dance and share an interest in reading.Being a part of the Mondialogo team is important to me since I would be able to do something that would benefit a village- the heartland of my country which the scorching national economical growth in the past decade has left largely untouched. More than drawing up plans on paper, I will strive to give something tangible to the village of Bhojpur which can improve their life and enrich their community. I am prepared to work to this end.
Introduction:Jayanthi
Hello everyone!!
This is jayanthi gopal...I'm in my 3rd year of civil engineering at MNIT, Jaipur...I basically belong to Chennai but have truly witnessed and enjoyed the multi ethnic-nature of India...I've resided in Nainital, Nagpur, Hyderabad,Chennai, Bangalore and now am at Jaipur...
I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction literature and also write poems and short stories...
I firmly believe that engineering is a key driver of national development...India being a nation of villages,I believe that rural development would per se imply national development and MEA helps bring out this true essence of engineering which has been lost in today's world....
This is jayanthi gopal...I'm in my 3rd year of civil engineering at MNIT, Jaipur...I basically belong to Chennai but have truly witnessed and enjoyed the multi ethnic-nature of India...I've resided in Nainital, Nagpur, Hyderabad,Chennai, Bangalore and now am at Jaipur...
I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction literature and also write poems and short stories...
I firmly believe that engineering is a key driver of national development...India being a nation of villages,I believe that rural development would per se imply national development and MEA helps bring out this true essence of engineering which has been lost in today's world....
recent developments
We went to Bhojpur on the 2nd of August.Despite the best monsoon in 6 years the village still faces tremendous water shortage.
The village has over 80 wells but only 2 with potable water.The rest are contaminated with flouride and organic matter.These 2 wells are located close to the pond.
There are about 70 houses in Bhojpur and has a total population of about 700.
The water consumption varies from 300 L for a family of 7-8 and 500 L for a family of 25 per day.
Bhojpur now has continuous electricity supply.
The main crops cultivated are Jowar,Bajra,Moong(Lentil seeds),Beans and Groundnuts.However,agriculture is almost non-prevalent during most part of the year because of the minimal rainfall and the contaminated groundwater.
We visited Nathuramji,one of Bhojpur's representatives in the panchayat and we discussed the water shortage issues.
One of the main problems faced by the villagers is flourosis and we gathered from Nathuramji that a Jaipur based NGO is already working towards installation of domestic flouride filters.
We also came across a resident of Chirasda, a village thats 3 km away from Bhojpur.This village has no electricity at all and all the wells contain non-potable water which is being consumed by the villagers as such.Hence,most of them suffer from fluorosis.
While few of us stayed back at Bhojpur to collect the soil and water samples,survey the land and speak to the villagers the rest visited The Barefoot College,Tilonia ,which is an alternative, community-based learning centre that trains rural citizens in the practical training programs for solar engineering, rainwater harvesting, computer programming, midwifery and even photography, to get the details of rainwater harvesting and water management.
We've basically decided to divide the project into different modules assigning a few of us to each module.
1. Conventional rooftop rainwater harvesting in the school building and the pucca houses.
2. Recharge of groundwater using sandpits and control of evaporation.
3. Treatment of contaminated well water and installation of domestic filters.
Apart from these we were thinking of a business plan wherein we work towards the betterment of the people of Bhojpur as a whole and ensuring a means of livelihood(handicrafts,vermi- composting etc) and thus financial security.
One of the UNDP goals that we would like to stress on is women empowerment.Though our main focus is on water management, we would like to integrate the empowerment of women with it.
We intend to get the samples that we collected analysed by the GSI(Geological Survey of India) and have started looking out for foreign universities to partner with.
We've basically decided to divide the project into different modules assigning a few of us to each module.
1. Conventional rooftop rainwater harvesting in the school building and the pucca houses.
2. Recharge of groundwater using sandpits and control of evaporation.
3. Treatment of contaminated well water and installation of domestic filters.
Apart from these we were thinking of a business plan wherein we work towards the betterment of the people of Bhojpur as a whole and ensuring a means of livelihood(handicrafts,vermi- composting etc) and thus financial security.
One of the UNDP goals that we would like to stress on is women empowerment.Though our main focus is on water management, we would like to integrate the empowerment of women with it.
We intend to get the samples that we collected analysed by the GSI(Geological Survey of India) and have started looking out for foreign universities to partner with.
my first post
Hello everyone!
I happen to be the first one to write something about Bhojpur and our amazing team. To begin with, we are all engineering students from Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur and we've been working on sustainable development for the past one year.
Our purpose is to improve rural life by thoughtful application of our engineering skills. Said and done, we have adopted Bhojpur as the model village, which is situated 70kms off Jaipur city, towards Ajmer.
The village is a typical Indian village with plenty of mud houses, although there are a few exceptions. The living conditions in the village are rather tragic, especially when it comes to availability of clean drinking water. So our aim is to cleanse the village of this problem by means of Rain Water Harvesting, which will be the core component of our project.
Our team in itself, is a pretty good mix of students from different branches. I for instance, am from the Department of Chemical Engineering. And by the way, I'm Suvha Lama from Darjeeling, West Bengal.
You can say that our source of inspiration for taking up this noble task is a group of seniors who've passed out last year. They're former winners of the prestigious Mondialogo Engineering Awards as well.
In my next post, I'll enlighten you all about the specific problems the village faces, our observations on the same and whatever progress we've made till date.
Cheers!
I happen to be the first one to write something about Bhojpur and our amazing team. To begin with, we are all engineering students from Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur and we've been working on sustainable development for the past one year.
Our purpose is to improve rural life by thoughtful application of our engineering skills. Said and done, we have adopted Bhojpur as the model village, which is situated 70kms off Jaipur city, towards Ajmer.
The village is a typical Indian village with plenty of mud houses, although there are a few exceptions. The living conditions in the village are rather tragic, especially when it comes to availability of clean drinking water. So our aim is to cleanse the village of this problem by means of Rain Water Harvesting, which will be the core component of our project.
Our team in itself, is a pretty good mix of students from different branches. I for instance, am from the Department of Chemical Engineering. And by the way, I'm Suvha Lama from Darjeeling, West Bengal.
You can say that our source of inspiration for taking up this noble task is a group of seniors who've passed out last year. They're former winners of the prestigious Mondialogo Engineering Awards as well.
In my next post, I'll enlighten you all about the specific problems the village faces, our observations on the same and whatever progress we've made till date.
Cheers!
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