{"id":1690,"date":"2017-11-27T11:54:54","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T06:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tibetnature.lhasocialwork.com\/en\/?p=1690"},"modified":"2017-12-19T09:49:12","modified_gmt":"2017-12-19T04:19:12","slug":"improving-water-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/improving-water-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving our water quality"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Water is precious. And its quality is as important for our survival as its quantity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many recent Lha articles have been about the quantity of water. Either about water exploitation or misuse of water resources, e.g. <em>Tibet and\u00a0<!--more--> the Monsoon, feb 2014<\/em> and <em>Tibet bottled water, sept 2017<\/em>. In the last two years, Contact Magazine has discussed water quality (regulations, January 2016) and most importantly, what Lha is doing about local water quality by supplying filtration plants to help health and hygiene (March, 2016 and June 2017).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here, we connect these big picture stories to what Lha is doing in the local community. Thereby, we offer practical advice. You can either improve water quality yourself or advocate for others, government and business to improve it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lets start by looking at water quantity and then move to quality. To understand water quantity broadly, we can look at the water cycle (see fig. 1).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Too much water taken from a source may deplete that resource and upset the cycle. Three examples:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Tibet and the monsoon affecting the water cycle<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dams on Tibetan rivers flowing to India will deplete water supply to India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Changing monsoon patterns in Himachal Pradesh Himalayas may offer less spring and groundwater or cause flooding<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Building-a-water-cycle.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1691 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Building-a-water-cycle.jpg\" alt=\"Building-a-water-cycle\" width=\"729\" height=\"424\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Figure 1:<\/span> The water cycle<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With good water and waste treatment we can have a \u2018healthy stream\u2019 (see fig. 2 below). What are the streams like in the Dharamsala region, e.g. the Bhagsu stream? Think about:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">where streams are healthy and become \u2018unhealthy\u2019, or vice versa; and,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">what are the factors that degrade or improve the stream (see diagram)?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1692\" src=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2.png\" alt=\"ROSwebsite2\" width=\"1461\" height=\"842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2.png 1461w, https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2-768x443.png 768w, https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ROSwebsite2-1024x590.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1461px) 100vw, 1461px\" \/><\/a><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Figure 2:<\/span> Factors that affect healthy and unhealthy streams<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In many countries, water quality, after many years of deterioration, thanks to rehabilitation is improving. Since 1999, <span style=\"color: #808080;\"><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"http:\/\/riverfoundation.org.au\/our-programs\/riverprize\/international-riverprize\/\">International River Foundation has awarded improvement prizes to river systems worldwide<\/a>.<\/span> The only Indian finalist was the Arvari in 2003 and 2004. None have been from Tibet, though winners and finalists have been from China with the Sha river winning in 2006 and Yellow river finalist between 2007 and 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An Indian pilgrim to Lake Manasoravar near Mt Kailash in Tibet wryly commented to the author recently (pers comm. August 2017), \u201cif this holy lake was in India, it would now be polluted\u201d. Take a look at Dal holy lake (Fig. 3).<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1700\" style=\"width: 370px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W2-Dal-holy-lake-Copy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1700\" class=\"wp-image-1700\" src=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W2-Dal-holy-lake-Copy.jpg\" alt=\"W2 Dal holy lake - Copy\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W2-Dal-holy-lake-Copy.jpg 600w, https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W2-Dal-holy-lake-Copy-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1700\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Unhealthy Water<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_1709\" style=\"width: 368px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W1-Manasorovar-holy-lake.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1709\" class=\" wp-image-1709\" src=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W1-Manasorovar-holy-lake.jpg\" alt=\"Healthy Water\" width=\"358\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W1-Manasorovar-holy-lake.jpg 600w, https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/W1-Manasorovar-holy-lake-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Healthy Water<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Figure 3:<\/span> unhealthy water, Dal holy lake (left side) and healthy water, lake Manasoravar (right side)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To understand water quality in more detail, we can look at a typical \u2018urban water cycle\u2019 (Fig. 4) and consider water treatment and waste water treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/urban-water-cycle.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1717 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/urban-water-cycle.jpg\" alt=\"urban-water-cycle\" width=\"755\" height=\"480\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Figure 4:<\/span> Urban water cycle<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Drinking water comes from a suitable \u2018water supply\u2019 and is usually treated to ensure it is safe \u2018clean water\u2019 (see fig. 4). <span style=\"color: #808080;\"><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.in\/maps\/place\/Hydrometeorology+Station\/@32.2485144,76.3110114,15z\/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x5ec54d8b2c3628c9!8m2!3d32.2485144!4d76.3110114\">A local water treatment plant is located in McLeod Ganj above Dal lake<\/a><\/span>. Two problems can lead to unsafe drinking water. First one, if people do not have access to treated water and depend on waste water that is not treated effectively. Second, if their water supply is polluted, say by poor quality supply in the monsoon. Lha has helped in both cases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In June, Lha installed its 25<sup>th<\/sup> water filtration plant as part of the Lha Clean Water project for Dharamsala (refer CM June 2017). Project data shows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">nearly 14,000 people are receiving adequate drinking water;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">a variety of institutions, e.g. schools, have benefited;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">students reported improved health and teachers improved school attendance (survey conducted in 2016)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">How well these filtration plants are maintained and integrated into the regional drinking water system is uncertain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Equally important is the treatment of \u2018waste water\u2019 (refer again to fig. 4). Proper treatment may lead to a \u2018healthy stream\u2019 (in fig. 2) and discharged \u2018treated water\u2019 may become someone\u2019s drinking water downstream &#8211; repeating the cycle in figure 4. Potential waste water treatment improvement opportunities are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Treat black toilet water either in a waste water treatment (sewerage) plant or by septic systems. Generally, sewerage treatment is managed by experts and more reliable than private home septic systems. Sewerage treatment is preferred in developed countries. <span style=\"color: #808080;\"><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.in\/search?biw=1236&amp;bih=590&amp;q=waste+treatment+dharamsala&amp;npsic=0&amp;rflfq=1&amp;rlha=0&amp;rllag=32217203,76326464,3082&amp;tbm=lcl&amp;ved=0ahUKEwifif6Z2ZfXAhWBLo8KHZnoDdAQtgMIKg&amp;tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&amp;rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:168184173079978272\">Dharamsala region has a sewage plant at Jawahar, Gulerian<\/a><\/span>, and some remote houses and communities that are not connected may have septic systems. Lhasa in Tibet is reported as having<span style=\"color: #808080;\"> <a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"http:\/\/chinatibet.people.com.cn\/96069\/7440954.html\">waste water treatment since 2011.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Treat grey water from the kitchen, bathroom, house cleaning and clothes washing. In many developed countries, grey water is treated with black water in sewerage plants. In McLeod Ganj, and many areas in India, grey water is discharged to the environment, polluting nearby streams (see McLeod Ganj drains in dry weather). One local sign of change is <span style=\"color: #808080;\"><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.idealist.org\/en\/nonprofit-internship\/105db4b27d994ddda70e208042b617ba-assistant-project-manager-household-grey-water-recovery-reuse-project-wash-swash-village-org-dharamshala?\">a research position to investigate grey water recovery and reuse<\/a><\/span>. It was posted by SWASH Village on 10 October 2017 to be based in Naddi, Dal lake.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Treat stormwater (see middle section of fig. 4). Overland flows from rain and snow pick up sediment, rubbish, animal faeces and can cause flooding. Leaking pipes and roof water contribute to these flows. In many developed countries, sediment is managed, rubbish is placed in bins, animal owners collect faeces and roof water is harvested. <span style=\"color: #808080;\"><a style=\"color: #808080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brisbane.qld.gov.au\/planning-building\/planning-guidelines-and-tools\/superseded-brisbane-city-plan-2000\/subdivision-development-guidelines\/water-sensitive-urban-design\">Brisbane City Council\u2019s Water Stormwater Quality Management is one Australian city\u2019s example<\/a><\/span>. No equivalent is known for Himachal Pradesh, or Tibet. Lha conducts a monthly clean-up of waste around McLeod Ganj which helps improve storm water in a limited way.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Water quality in Himachal Pradesh (and perhaps Tibet?) is improving but not to the extent in developed countries. The Indian government and Lha are improving drinking water quality and the Indian government is improving (black water) sewerage treatment. By contrast, grey and storm waters are managed poorly in the Dharamsala region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Poor quality waste waters impact people, animals and streams \/ rivers downstream. To help those in Dharamsala and on the Indian plain, those living in McLeod Ganj follow, and encourage others to follow: Lha\u2019s <em>Keep Your City Clean and Green<\/em> brochure: \u2018Don\u2019t throw garbage on the ground\u2019, \u2018Repair water leaks\u2019. Also, they should advocate for the grey and storm water improvements above. The result would be better water quality leading to healthy streams and healthy people!<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Simon Cavendish, Marvin Westerveld and Amelia Rozelle<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Water is precious. And its quality is as important for our survival as its quantity. Many recent Lha articles have been about the quantity of water. Either about water exploitation or misuse of water resources,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights-articles","category-natural-resource","category-water-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1690"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1741,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1690\/revisions\/1741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetnature.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}