Jal Shakti Campus and Jal Shakti Gram

Water conservation needs to be ingrained in not only the consciousness but also practices of every citizen and system. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have to make unremitting efforts through faculty, staff and students to make the Jal Shakti Abhiyan successful.

Key water challenges include Water Conservation, Water Quality Management, Watershed Management, Storm water Management and Wastewater Management.

Role of HEIs in Water Conservation

• Build consensus on the need for water conservation on campus with students, administration, faculty and other internal as well as external stakeholders
• Build consensus on the need for water conservation on campus with village residents, village administration, gram sabha and other internal as well as external stakeholder institutions like schools, self help groups, health centres, village banks, panchayats
• Facilitate design of specific interventions for making the campus water sufficient and water efficient by following best available standards and accepted parameters
• Facilitate design of specific interventions for making the village water sufficient and water efficient by following best available standards and accepted parameters
• Monitor the existing water management in the campus with participation and transparency
• Monitor the existing water management in the village with participation and transparency
• Present a step-by-step guide for conserving water on the campus
• Present a step-by-step guide for conserving water on the village
• Generate case studies on best water conservation practices adopted on the campus and in the villages the campuses are engaged with. These instances can serve as models for other institutions and villages to adopt
• A core team consisting of the leadership of the institution along with key stakeholders may be formed. The team shall work as "Campus Jal Shakti Team".
• A core team consisting of the leadership of the village along with key stakeholders may be formed. The team shall work as "Village Jal Shakti Team".
• The team that would be involved in all aspects of exploring, surveying, fact-finding, recording, planning, taking action and monitoring will also include all relevant stakeholders viz., citizens, student teams, their teachers, village leaders apart from administrative officials concerned in both campuses and villages.
• One or two interested or environmentally-concerned-inclined faculty members or village community leaders may be given the responsibility to lead the water conservation movement in the respective realms. This team, henceforth named the 'Jal Shakti Leadership Team' will select a group of enthusiastic students starting from their own departments to be part of the core campaign team, hereinafter called 'Jal Shakti Student Team'.
• Together Jal Shakti Leadership Team and Jal Shakti Student Team is a Jal Shakti Team.
• The Jal Shakti Team will report to a team of campus officials representing accounts, administration and maintenance divisions, with an avid interest in the water conservation initiatives: Jal Shakti Admin Group.
• The entire programme will run under direction from the designated authority that will set the policies, rules and directives for bringing change.
• Jal Shakti Team External Members for Water Conservation need to be identified from neighbouring Universities/HEIs/Colleges. They will support in monitoring the progress at regular intervals
• Water Conservation Initiative can be a successful only if the Head of the Institution ignites the spirit of everybody in the organization. S/he needs to direct the departments, pay attention to the findings of student teams and ensure that their valuable suggestions are followed in letter and spirit by all students, faculty members as well as administrative, non-teaching and support staff. A motivated leader can bring a sea-change in the system and therefore s/he is the cornerstone of this campaign. An advisory committee may be constituted to guide the initiative.

Parameters for Campus Score in Water Conservation

Water Conservation

• Adequacy of Water
• Plumbing adequacy of water taps and Sanitary fixtures
• Water Efficient Toilets
• Dedicated Staff for Water Maintenance
• Dedicated Staff for Water Inspection
• Periodic mending and repairs of leaks in taps and pipes
• Two levels of flushing in all the toilets
• Planting indigenous variety of plants and less water requiring plants
• Organising water conservation workshops to the faculty and students on the campus

Rainwater Harvesting

• Installation of rain gauge and rain recording system
• Steps taken for implementing rainwater harvesting inside the campus
• Digging rainwater harvesting pits on the campus
• Educating on Water Harvesting through workshops/seminars

Renovation of Traditional and other Water Bodies/Tanks

• Groundwater recharge
• Maintenance of water balance
• Reuse and recharge structures
• Watershed development
• Land management
• Water management
• Biomass management

Other Interventions

• Technological and sociological interventions
• Planning, Preparing and Reporting Mechanism
• Appropriate display, publicity, sharing knowledge
• Treating personnel/workers with respect and looking into their welfare
• Adhering to Reporting Mechanisms
• Designated Officer Monitoring and taking Corrective measures for Water Management

HEIs- Campus Tasks in Water Conservation

Every Higher Education Institution needs to prepare a water budget

1. Each building and each open tract of land (based on the gradient of Land) in every HEI Campus is to be considered as a HEI Campus unit for preparing water budget
2. Each of them provides challenges and opportunities for water conservation
3. Every HEI Campus unit needs to develop its short term water requirements, consumption, conservation targets: day wise, month wise, quarterly (seasonal) and annual for each area (at least for each building and each open tract of land) in the campus
4. Every HEI Campus unit needs to have its own rain gauge and its own rain recording system.
5. Every HEI Campus unit needs to explore the feasibility for designing contour trenches, artificial ponds and roof top water harvesting structures as per the local capacity, terrain, gradient of land, soil porosity and rainfall.
6. Every HEI Campus unit needs to construct rainwater harvesting structures in the campus as per the appropriate designs made

Water Quantity and Quality monitoring and annual targets on identified indicators of

1. Every Higher Educational Institution shall designate its various sources of water for various uses in its campus basing on the quality and recyclability.
2. Regulate use of ground and surface water (use best quality of water for best use and lower quality of water for cleaning and washing as well as flushing)
3. Every HEI Campus unit in every higher educational institution shall install appropriate Rainwater harvesting structures in identified locations in the campus (form the total campus into manageable zones based on the terrain and gravity)

What is measured gets monitored. What is monitored gets managed.

1. Install water use meters and flow meters at all bulk water dispensing locations and tanks.
2. Keep the ground water drawn metered and monitored

Monitor overhead tanks

1. Monitor the overhead tanks noting the difference in levels of water in the overhead tank at designated time every day.
2. Ensure that the tanks are full as each day begins. Note the difference in levels of water for estimating the consumption of the day.

Motor metering method

1. Per minute pump wise flow of water or water output is to be measured and the time or number of hours and minutes the water pump is switched on is to be measured and water output is to be calculated.
2. Every time the motor runs, this is counted and added to estimate the withdrawal of water.
3. Conduct this water audit followed by the preparation of water budget for the campus.

Estimate the source of the campus water

1. Identify the sources of the campus water and the capacity of yield from each source
2. Identify various uses of water in every campus
3. Measure and monitor water table on the campus and the seasonal variations, especially in bulk consumption locations

Start water conservation

1. Identify bulk consumption locations as well as non-bulk consumption locations and provide unique number for each location
2. Develop an alert system for informing the leakages in each of the location by identifying them through the unique number
3. Mend the leaks in taps and pipes periodically (daily / weekly / fortnightly / monthly) focusing more intensive approach for bulk consumption locations.
4. Work on the toilet flushes and the optimum water use from the flush by installing two levels of flushing.

Manage water

1. Introduce less-water-intensive gardens and lawns
2. Replace the present water intensive gardens and lawns immediately

Introduce Recycling

1. Identify water recycling opportunities on the campus basing on the bulk water usage and dispensation points
2. Introduce first-in first-out method for retaining the quality of drinking water.
3. Introduce counter current method of using Best Quality Water for Best Use Viz., drinking, bathing, gardening, and cleaning.

Plugging leakages

1. Form an area-wise water watching team which stops the water wastage.
2. Adopt a method of geo tagging the water leaking points and app-based alerts of the plumbers in the campus to arrest water leakages and water stagnation-related challenges.

Plantation

1. Avoid planting ornamental roadside trees, monoculture and China grass lawns.
2. Select local species that are resilient, fruit-bearing, useful shall be planted in place of present irrigation intensive plants
3. Plants like lantana and other exotic species need to be avoided.

Administration

1. Form Campus Student Teams
2. Involve Engineering Wing, Administration Wing, Planning Wing and Horticulture Wing of the University Department to handle water related works.

To know more information about Jal Shakti Campus click here

Jal Shakti Gram

Role of Higher Education Institutions in Jal Shakti Village

• Each HEIs which participates in Jal Shakti Campus will identify the neighboring village as Jal Shakti Village.
• A core team consisting of key stakeholders including the HEI participants may be formed under the leadership of the village. The team shall work as “Gram Jal Shakti Team”. The HEI Jal Shakti Team will provide technical support to the Gram Jal Shakti Team
• The Gram Jal Shakti Team with the support of HEI Jal Shakti Team will be involved in all aspects of Gram Jal Shakti viz., Participatory Rural Action, Participatory Learning and Action for exploring, surveying, fact-finding, recording, planning, and monitoring of activities relating to water conservation.
• Gram Jal Shakti Team Create awareness on the need for water conservation in village and gain consensus through involvement of all members in the village.
• Facilitate design of specific interventions for enabling the Village water sufficient and water use efficient by following best available standards and accepted parameters.
• Monitor the existing water management in the village with participation and transparency.
• Present a step-by-step guide for conserving water in the village.
• Document case studies on best water conservation practices adopted in the village.
• These instances can serve as models for other higher education institutions to adopt the village and to emulate for other villages.

To know more information about Jal Shakti Gram Click here

Source: Ministry of Human Resource Development