NOT A DROP TO DRINK ?

On the WORLD WATER DAY , today , I wonder if any of our Netas and Babus would find time to read this blog ( being sent as email to them )

How come ?

It is that time for the Great Indian Tamasha ( - also called " Dance of Democracy " by one newspaper ! ) , when the Netas travel in air-conditioned cars and carry with them , dozens of bottles of chilled BISLERI , to preach the virtues of voting to village-women, who need to track 10 KM in hot blazing sun for a small bucket of brackish water !

To say that we - the gullible - have been mesmerized ( - drugged ? ) by this " Opium of the Masses " , called ELECTIONS , is an understatement !

Or , should I say :

We , the people of India , get the Government that we deserve !

Water above our heads

As per one estimate, there is 50,000 cubic kilometers of water contained in the atmosphere

And all of this, is safe / potable / drinking water ( - we have all heard of Chatak bird drinking rain drops even before  they fall to the ground ! )

This “ water in air “ is everywhere –  even in arid , semi-arid and desert areas

And , unlike water tables going deeper and deeper on the earth , “ water in air “ stays accessible , all the time – and right above our heads

Only problem is :

Finding a cheap method to extract it , without use of electric power ( as in sea water desalination )

Around the world, several scientists are working on this problem – with varying success

Latest to succeed is :

Guihua Yu  of the University of Texas

His research is reported at

Super Moisture‐Absorbent Gels for All‐Weather Atmospheric Water Harvesting

Here is how Indian Express reports :

New solar-powered device creates water from thin air

Highlights :

#   The technology relies on hydrogels, gel-polymer hybrid materials designed to be “super

     sponges” that can retain large amounts of water

    

#   This new system could tap into those reserves and potentially lead to small, inexpensive

    and portable filtration Systems

#   “We have developed a completely passive system where all you need to do is leave the

      hydrogel outside and it will collect water,” said Fei Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher on

      Yu’s team.

     “The collected water will remain stored in the hydrogel until you expose it to sunlight.

     After about five minutes under natural sunlight, the water releases,” Zhao said in a

     statement.

    

#   “ The new material is designed to both harvest moisture from the air and produce clean

      water under sunlight, avoiding intensive energy consumption,” said Yu, an associate

      professor of materials science and mechanical engineering.

     

 

#    Technology requires only solar power, is compact and can still produce enough water to

      meet the daily needs of an average household, researchers said

       Some few months back, PM Shri Modiji has constitutes a “ Science , Technology and

       Innovation Advisory Committee [ PM - STIAC ] “

PM-STIAC  has identified following missions :

Natural Language Translation... 
Quantum Frontier... 
Artificial Intelligence... 
National Biodiversity Mission... 
Electric Vehicles

BioScience for Human Health... 
Waste To Wealth... 
Deep Ocean Exploration... 
Agnii... 

==================================

Considering that most metro cities of India are likely to run out of water in next 2 / 3 years and rural women all over India have to walk 10 Km, in 40*C temperature under blazing sun for a bucket of brackish water , I urge PM – STIAC to add

“  WATER  HARVESTING from AIR  “

-    as a mission , with highest priority

In this regards, Committee members may want to go through following blogs where I have listed similar water harvesting innovations :

===============================================

Water Water Everywhere ? Even in Latur ?     ……………………………….  15  April  2017

==========================================================

#WaterWars #WorldWaterDay    ……………………………………………………….  23  March  2018

===========================================================

#WorldWaterDay #Water    …………………………………………………………………. 24  March  2018

 

====================================================

Clean Drinking Water    …………………………………………………………………………  05  May  2018

==============================================================

#Water #Famine #Drought #Kaveri   ………………………………………………     08  May  2018

===============================================================

Water Wars Are Looming !   …………………………………………………………………   09 June 2018

===============================================================

#WaterCrisis #Famine #Drought   ………………………………………………………… 17  June  2018

==============================================================

Making Water from Air ?  ……………………………………………………………………….  26  Oct 2018

===============================================================

I urge NITI Aayog to launch an initiative called  SAVE ( - along the lines of FAME for EVs ), under following broad categories :

[ A ]  Finding / implementing , new sources of water ( Creation  )

·      Harvesting water from Air ( - as listed above )

·      Desalination ( which uses Solar Power and not electricity )

·      Someday, even towing Icebergs ?

·       

[ B ]  Finding / implementing, methods of water conservation ( including recycling )

·      Interlinking of rivers

·      Digging water ponds in villages

·      Recycling domestic water usage ( like Food Chain, establishing a Water Chain )

      #   Drinking Water  ( Municipal supply )

      #   Washing Water ( Bath / Utensils / Clothes / Hands ) [ Rain Water harvesting ]

      #   Flushing Water  ( Recycled washing water after filtration )

·      Establishing “ water usage quota / rationing of water “ – per person in household

·      Gradual introduction of “ pre-paid “ smart water meters which cuts off supply when quota used up

·       

[ C ]   Incentivize companies manufacturing devices / equipment for [A] and [B] above

         Eg : MM Industrial Controls , which manufactures Bio-Digester

         Read : DRDO’s bio-digester : A clean way to dispose of human waste, recycle water

         This is just one example . There are hundreds of companies in this field

          This could be in the form of GST waiver / nil Corporate Income Tax for 10 years

 

[ D ]   For urgent completion of the above, consider following POLICY FRAME- WORK

          ( as outlined in : Water  Wars  ? ……………………. 08  April 2016  )

          #  At the level of Central Government

     *   Make " Water Conservation / Usage " , a  CENTRAL SUBJECT  in our

          Constitution . Remove it from the list of STATE SUBJECTS

*   Declare all existing sources of water ( Rivers and Lakes ) , as National

    Resources belonging to entire Nation and not to the particular State

     where these are  located

*   Make it Center's responsibility to decide which State shall use how

     much of each of these resource ( allocation / rationing )

*   Center will also be responsible for developing of future resources by

     digging lakes & ponds / building dams / interlinking rivers & lakes etc

     Use MNREGA funds for creating such assets

*   Center will not need permission of any State to implement such projects

*   Center will implement " River Interlinking " Project by 2025 , and for this,

     it will not require permission of any State

     As repeatedly lobbied by me , please find a way to divert BLACK MONEY

     to this Infrastructure SPV ( Tax haven or local - which is 100 times ! )

*   Mercilessly , shut down all factories dumping polluting effluents in rivers

#   At the level of State Governments

*   Make following mandatory for ALL buildings ( existing or future )

    +  Rain water harvesting system ( this tank to supply toilets / sinks etc )

    +  Recycling of water from Kitchen / Shower / Wash Basins, for use in

        toilets , by installing a simple sand filtering tank in society compounds

    +  Installation of water flow restricting devices in all taps

    +  Mechanism which stops water flow when hands are removed under tap

    +  Water Supply Cut of 25 % , round the year

         Do not raise Water Charges . The higher the charges , more ways will

         be found to evade ( as in case of Personal Income Tax ! )

         Water meters will get tempered or by-passed !

=========================================================

30  March  2019  /  World  Water  Day

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com