My Learnings from Dallu Residental area, Swyambhunath" World Heritage Site" and Private Home.

Always heard people out crying for the water scarcity problem.Sometimes in my locality too I faces those situations.But today I visited a person who is free from those issues. Who had managed to overcome those issues and managed his own water supply system in his courtyard. He confidently says "I don't worry rather the government supply tap provide water or not i have managed myself." Mr. Narendra Man Dongol, yes the person that i was talking about that I visited today.He is a civil contractor by profession.Mr. Dongol adapted Rainwater harvesting system in his own house where he runs a Montessori school for almost 44 students and 12 employees. He has developed his house as a demonstration site for complete water solution. I got an opportunity to visit him in context of my academic field visit in the Dallu area .i.e next to the Swyambhunath Temple-"A World Heritage Site". Mr. Dongal was our resource person for the case study of RWH practise in the area. He tour us across the Swyabhunath temple, Dallu Residential area and his own house.

So i would like to share what i have experienced and learnt.

The concept of catching the surface water runoff from the stair of Swyambhunath temple which consist more that 1500 foot step and also from the 9 roapni (49284 sq ft) open land next to recharge in Bhuikhel pond was innovative.

Black soil don?t let the water infiltrate. The pond?s bed was filled with black soil to retain the water in the pond.

Also water may infiltrate through black soil from the cracks, as soil cracks if it is let dry for long, so from the cracks the water infiltrate and the pond cannot retain the water. This is the present challenge in the Bhuikhel Pond.

The solution to this was told to replaced  black soil by red soil (Ratomato in Nepali) as ?Red soil is like powder when its dry but when it comes in contact with water its act like ghee, i.e. it is compacted and form a seal.? said Mr. Dongol

In the pond two recharge well, built to recharge the ground water table.

For the construction of new building in the dallu residential area the RWH system design is compulsory otherwise the building would not be allowed to be built.(Locals initiation)

Among 751 house hold in the area only 40-50 household has only installed RWH system there said Mr. Dongol.

He described and demonstrated the first flush mechanism in the community centre building.

Mr Dongol is independent of KUKL?s, as he has well water management system. He harvests the rain water from the 110 sq m catchment area from his well managed and furnished tiled roof. He harvests the rain and store it in his15000 lt reservoir tank and overflow  water to his well for recharge.

He utilizes the rain water for domestic as well as drinking purpose. The stored water is pumped to the roof in a holding tank it is passed through the Bio-sand filter and stored in a 1000 lt tank as filtered water. Then the water is distributed in the house and Purna Kalash Montessori owened by the community.

The daily demand for the Household and the Montessori is 1200 lt/day as Mr.Dongol informed. He extracts about 700 lt from the well and other 500 lt form the recycled water.

He re-utilize the used water .i.e. hand washed, dish washed, bathed and so on. This water is considered as grey water. So Mr. Dongol posses waste water treatment i.e. these grey water passes through ABR (aerobic baffle reactor).It consist of three compartment of differ sand layers which assist in the treatment of water. The water produces foul smell till this process. After ABR the water is spread into reed bed that consist the ?Narkat?-a kind of biological treating plant  for further treatment, here the foul smell is disappeared. Then water is collected in reservoir as treated water. The other 500 lt water is supplied through this process. Later water is pumped to roof and used for the purpose of flushing, gardening and car washing but not for drinking and cooking as told by Mr. Dongol.

For drinking purpose he has installed and high quality ceramic filter that filter the water and makes it safe and portable.

So from the field visit to Dallu Residential area and Mr. Dongol resident I have learnt about the rain water harvesting system and water management system plus waste water treatment. The concept of zero water waste was practically lived and experienced not 100 % but nearer to it. Thus these are the learning's from my toadys visit -An Eco Behaviour.