Soon, a course in rainwater harvesting

If the acute water crisis during summer months is any indication, the city may soon be in dire need of rainwater harvesting experts. Keeping this concern in mind, Jamia Hamdard University has decided to introduce a course in rainwater harvesting.

The board of studies at the university has said the PG diploma will begin from January 2013. Experts feel that as the demand for decentralized options like rainwater harvesting spikes, an automatic need arises for specialists who can cater to residents' requirements.

"The course recently got a nod from the academic council. Rainwater harvesting is a profession that is soon going to be in demand. Students need expertise in installing rainwater harvesting structures and maintaining them every monsoon. The course will be of a one-year duration and will include theory and practical sessions," said professor Javed Ahmed, head of the botany department at the varsity.

The idea of starting this unique course stemmed from the university's own experience of the water crisis. The campus functions without a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) connection and has been sustaining with the rainwater collected every monsoon.

In the one-year course, students will be taught how to construct various kinds of harvesting structures. They will also have access to laboratory facilities to test the rain and groundwater quality. The course fee adds up to Rs 25,000.

Meanwhile, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which already offers a rainwater harvesting course, has witnessed a spurt in the number of applicants this year. "Every year during the peak summer months people wake up to the water shortage and the demand shoots up. But this year we started getting enquiries much earlier and they were more in number. In fact, we had participants from Bangladesh and Nepal too," said Sushmita Sengupta, deputy programme manager, water unit, CSE.

At CSE, students fulfill multiple roles of architects, contractors and consultants, all pitching in to conserve water. Unlike Jamia Hamdard University, CSE organizes short courses of about a week's duration. The course content involves traditional rainwater harvesting structures, understanding basics of groundwater, hydrogeology, designing, construction process, maintenance and monitoring mechanisms.

Environment Service Scheme activity to be must in Mumbai schools

The state government plans to introduce Environment Service Scheme (ESS) in Mumbai schools to provide "action-oriented environmental literacy".

ESS, which is like the NCC and NSS, will, however, be a compulsory activity and is aimed at helping students understand the local environment, ecosystem and problems associated them. A brainchild of secretary (environment) Valsa Nair-Singh and a group of experts, ESS activities will include the study of resources such as soil, water, biodiversity and energy and issues like degradation, pollution, waste and scarcity.

ESS has already been implemented in 50 schools across 12 districts, and Mumbai schools-from class VII-will be taken up in the second phase this year. "The objective is to develop leadership skills on environment issues," a senior state environment department official said.

"They will have to work on projects related to natural resource management from social and environment points of view with the local community," a senior state environment department official said. "Schools must devote three hours every week for ESS. We are spending about Rs 90,000 for each school's activities."

The environment department has selected the state's nodal agency, the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), to handle the activity for three years.

The CEE will select schools, district-level NGOs and district coordinators in consultation with the department. The coordinators will not only train unit head teachers, but also provide education material, frame activity time-tables and submit budget estimates to the department.

The NGOs must be registered societies, cooperative institutes, trusts or associations having at least three years experience in the field of environment. They will act mediators between schools and the local community and contribute to project ideas. At the unit level, principals must get in touch with the nodal agency for the formation of ESS units in their schools.

ESS will be monitored by a state-level advisory committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary and the government will look into its implementation.