Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
18 February 2009
14 February 2009
wadi bandar
wadi bandar.
250 households.
@ 5 people/house.
1 working pipe.
[non-working spaghetti pipes throughout]
entrance from street
north lane with spaghetti pipes
1 public tap/@ 10 households.
1 shared private tap.
public toilet facility under construction.
directly adjacent to railway water tank, no service.
less than 100 meters to well source, non drinking supply.
less than 500 meters from the bhandarwada hill reservoir, no service.
250 households.
@ 5 people/house.
1 working pipe.
[non-working spaghetti pipes throughout]
entrance from street
north lane with spaghetti pipes
1 public tap/@ 10 households.
1 shared private tap.
public toilet facility under construction.
directly adjacent to railway water tank, no service.
less than 100 meters to well source, non drinking supply.
less than 500 meters from the bhandarwada hill reservoir, no service.
water/works
manual and generator powered sluice gates.guardians of a system that has not changed much in the last 100 years.
11 February 2009
north of town
or where ive been for the last two weeks.
current e ward development plan map
e ward office holding pen
current e ward development plan map
e ward office holding pen
24 January 2009
city/village
highlights from a three day conference on 'innovations in the water sector'.* in progress
30 December 2008
the bloody flux
dysentery is a major issue of public health. it looks pretty, but its not.
.jpg)
basically spread by contaminated water, bacteria and amoebae enter the body and take up residence in the intestines. this causes a variety of unpleasant symptoms, the most critical being the resulting dehydration and nutrient deficiency that comes from not being able to retain food. this can be fatal, especially in children. in its less advanced and less severe states, its still not fun. headaches, confusion, stomach pain, the runs, on and off. the amoebae can take up residence in your gut, and although there may be no overt symptoms, its hard to be 100% well.
'a clean body cannot reside in an unclean city' - mk gandhi
so what to do? i dont really like the idea of dysentery, or amoebas in general, and its something id like to avoid in the future. however for some reason i seem to be a good host, and its been back in typical form for the last couple of weeks. beyond that though, its popularity here is evidence to a link between public health and urban development.
mumbai is not the dirtiest place i have ever been to, but its not the cleanest either. surface sanitation is one thing, but the problem with chronic conditions like contaminated water lie in the systems that set up the framework for life here. drinking water supply, ground water run-off, and sewer combine on a regular basis through overlapped networks and breaches in their respective boundaries. add to that an informal system of gathering, cleaning and eliminating, and probability for infection increases exponentially. mumbai has a combined ground water and sewer system, meaning that what drains off the streets, gets mixed with sewage, on its way to disposal. this also means that in times of severe rainfall (monsoon) this system overloads, and backs up, back to the streets. (this also happens in washington dc and boston, minus the monsoon). proper drainage systems, and separate sewage routing would decrease the level of contaminated groundwater, which would be a good start to avoiding the contamination of drinking water. as the drinking water supply is channeled into the city via pipelines and tanker trucks, it frequently comes into contact with the other system, of groundwater and sewage. sometimes by proximity, mostly by breaks (either leaks or informal taps) in the security of its containment. once things are combined, its hard to separate.
mumbai obviously cannot redesign an infrastructure over 100 yrs old, but there may be ways to remediate the system. concentrating on developing proper drainage for the most densely developed areas would help alleviate the pressure on the stormwater system. increasing safe public toilet facilities would help with the problem of informal sewers. ensuring that drinking water pipelines remain intact would reduce the probability of contamination. rainwater recycling could charge the toilet systems. requiring that new buildings have an adequate percentage of pervious open space might help absorb more run-off. constructing restorative landscapes in the large tracts of undeveloped land and turning them into park spaces may foster a sense of environmental stewardship.
sigh. this is all very simple, and not very realistic, when put into the context of how the city actually functions. so maybe there is a way to scale back, make the changes or modifications smaller, in the spirit of how most shortcomings are compensated for here.
im not sure, but its on my mind. in the meantime, i need to find some meds.
and make sure im drinking the good stuff.
* amoebic image from wikipedia.
* and despite the name, this is recommended for hangovers, and probably hard to find outside of stuttgart.
* is there a 75% less? its still better than any diet i know.
.jpg)
basically spread by contaminated water, bacteria and amoebae enter the body and take up residence in the intestines. this causes a variety of unpleasant symptoms, the most critical being the resulting dehydration and nutrient deficiency that comes from not being able to retain food. this can be fatal, especially in children. in its less advanced and less severe states, its still not fun. headaches, confusion, stomach pain, the runs, on and off. the amoebae can take up residence in your gut, and although there may be no overt symptoms, its hard to be 100% well.
'a clean body cannot reside in an unclean city' - mk gandhi
so what to do? i dont really like the idea of dysentery, or amoebas in general, and its something id like to avoid in the future. however for some reason i seem to be a good host, and its been back in typical form for the last couple of weeks. beyond that though, its popularity here is evidence to a link between public health and urban development.
mumbai is not the dirtiest place i have ever been to, but its not the cleanest either. surface sanitation is one thing, but the problem with chronic conditions like contaminated water lie in the systems that set up the framework for life here. drinking water supply, ground water run-off, and sewer combine on a regular basis through overlapped networks and breaches in their respective boundaries. add to that an informal system of gathering, cleaning and eliminating, and probability for infection increases exponentially. mumbai has a combined ground water and sewer system, meaning that what drains off the streets, gets mixed with sewage, on its way to disposal. this also means that in times of severe rainfall (monsoon) this system overloads, and backs up, back to the streets. (this also happens in washington dc and boston, minus the monsoon). proper drainage systems, and separate sewage routing would decrease the level of contaminated groundwater, which would be a good start to avoiding the contamination of drinking water. as the drinking water supply is channeled into the city via pipelines and tanker trucks, it frequently comes into contact with the other system, of groundwater and sewage. sometimes by proximity, mostly by breaks (either leaks or informal taps) in the security of its containment. once things are combined, its hard to separate.
mumbai obviously cannot redesign an infrastructure over 100 yrs old, but there may be ways to remediate the system. concentrating on developing proper drainage for the most densely developed areas would help alleviate the pressure on the stormwater system. increasing safe public toilet facilities would help with the problem of informal sewers. ensuring that drinking water pipelines remain intact would reduce the probability of contamination. rainwater recycling could charge the toilet systems. requiring that new buildings have an adequate percentage of pervious open space might help absorb more run-off. constructing restorative landscapes in the large tracts of undeveloped land and turning them into park spaces may foster a sense of environmental stewardship.
sigh. this is all very simple, and not very realistic, when put into the context of how the city actually functions. so maybe there is a way to scale back, make the changes or modifications smaller, in the spirit of how most shortcomings are compensated for here.
im not sure, but its on my mind. in the meantime, i need to find some meds.
and make sure im drinking the good stuff.
* amoebic image from wikipedia.
* and despite the name, this is recommended for hangovers, and probably hard to find outside of stuttgart.
* is there a 75% less? its still better than any diet i know.
15 September 2008
paper elephants
it was surreal.
this was the scene downtown. safe and ive heard relatively calm. my pictures don't do it much justice.
(i came across these pictures from the beach in juhu, which are much much better).
24 July 2008
sirens and clouds.
after a long hiatus, the clouds are back.
not recurring were the morning sirens, a sound i dont remember hearing in mumbai before. its strange not to hear what i would normally consider to be a fairly standard city noise. then again, this is not the standard city.
anyway, on a moderately related tangent, the disaster management plan for individual wards of mumbai, and the city whole, can be looked over here.
its an interesting read, defining areas of probable flooding, population situated in land slide zones, water timings, and solid waste disposal networks.
ive only witnessed a fire truck in action once, and have never seen a police vehicle in hot pursuit, except in movies. i honestly dont know how an ambulance would get through the traffic here. all of which makes the term 'disaster' somehow relative.
its a rain boot kind of day.
not recurring were the morning sirens, a sound i dont remember hearing in mumbai before. its strange not to hear what i would normally consider to be a fairly standard city noise. then again, this is not the standard city.
anyway, on a moderately related tangent, the disaster management plan for individual wards of mumbai, and the city whole, can be looked over here.
its an interesting read, defining areas of probable flooding, population situated in land slide zones, water timings, and solid waste disposal networks.
ive only witnessed a fire truck in action once, and have never seen a police vehicle in hot pursuit, except in movies. i honestly dont know how an ambulance would get through the traffic here. all of which makes the term 'disaster' somehow relative.
its a rain boot kind of day.
14 July 2008
02 July 2008
13 days
on 9th june, the united states consulate published a warning to all american citizens in mumbai to stay clear of flood zones, the sea face, streets with open manholes, and rain:
the bmc took offense at the press release, suggesting that the consulate was invoking unnecessary alarm.
on 12th june, reuters published this:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation rejected the statement, and said it had e-mailed the U.S. consulate on Wednesday stating it had cast the city in a bad light.
Jairaj Phatak, the municipal commissioner, estimates that 10 people or fewer have died in such a manner in recent years.
Elizabeth Kauffman, a spokeswoman for the consulate, said they did not mean to hurt anyone's feelings. The consulate has since added a single sentence to its online advisory, saying open manholes are sometimes marked with tree branches.
sorry mumbai, but ive never been so alarmed to see the condition of the ground under the water. walking to churchgate knee-deep in runoff was fine. it was walking back after the water had drained that scared me. open gutters, missing pavers, uncovered manholes, rubbish that i dont really need to detail, loose planks of wood... not the best adventure for a saturday afternoon.
Dear American citizens: The monsoon has arrived in western India, and Mumbai is experiencing the season's storms. With these come the possibility of heavy flooding. Heavy rains and associated winds can, at times, have the same intensity as a tropical storm. The rains during monsoon are significant and, in July 2005, led to heavy loss of life. You should follow common sense precautions, avoiding low-lying areas that appear to be flooded. Also be extremely cautious when driving or walking during flood periods. To ease flooding in Mumbai, Bombay Municipal Corporation workers will open manhole covers on roads, and there may be no markers. Tree branches upright on streets sometimes serve as caution signals. In reduced visibility conditions, you could drive into one of these open manholes. You should also pay attention when walking, since sidewalks are non-existent in some areas or used for other purposes in most parts of the city. It's possible that you could inadvertently step into an open manhole.
During the monsoon, most flooding occurs during high tide. Mumbai's drainage system is designed to run off into the Arabian Sea. If a major storm occurs during high tide, the rainfall backs up and flooding occurs. Particular concern should be paid during the days listed in the table below. During these 13 days, high tide is expected to raise water levels over four meters (13 feet) and, if there is heavy rain, the possibility of the city flooding is very high. Sluice gates, which funnel floodwaters from the city to the sea, are also closed on these days, increasing the possibility of flooding if there are heavy rains. Please be alert if there are heavy rains during the afternoons.
THE 13 DANGEROUS DAYS OF MONSOON
| DATE | TIME | WAVE |
| 2 July 2008 | 1152 hours | 4.57 |
| 3 July 2008 | 1237 hours | 4.74 |
| 4 July 2008 | 1325 hours | 4.83 |
| 5 July 2008 | 1410 hours | 4.84 |
| 6 July 2008 | 1454 hours | 4.75 |
| 7 July 2008 | 1537 hours | 4.57 |
| 1 Aug 2008 | 1220 hours | 4.68 |
| 2 Aug 2008 | 1302 hours | 4.8 |
| 3 Aug 2008 | 1341 hours | 4.79 |
| 4 Aug 2008 | 1420 hours | 4.65 |
| 30 Aug 2008 | 1158 hours | 4.59 |
| 31 Aug 2008 | 1220 hours | 4.66 |
| 1 Sep 2008 | 1307 hours | 4.58 |
the bmc took offense at the press release, suggesting that the consulate was invoking unnecessary alarm.
on 12th june, reuters published this:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation rejected the statement, and said it had e-mailed the U.S. consulate on Wednesday stating it had cast the city in a bad light.
Jairaj Phatak, the municipal commissioner, estimates that 10 people or fewer have died in such a manner in recent years.
Elizabeth Kauffman, a spokeswoman for the consulate, said they did not mean to hurt anyone's feelings. The consulate has since added a single sentence to its online advisory, saying open manholes are sometimes marked with tree branches.
sorry mumbai, but ive never been so alarmed to see the condition of the ground under the water. walking to churchgate knee-deep in runoff was fine. it was walking back after the water had drained that scared me. open gutters, missing pavers, uncovered manholes, rubbish that i dont really need to detail, loose planks of wood... not the best adventure for a saturday afternoon.
12 June 2008
30 May 2008
22 May 2008
fresh water
my second delivery of water came today, and it was quite fresh.
when i placed the order, i was feeling indulgent. 3 cans of water, 1 case of 1 litre bottles, and 1 case of fizzy soda. please. unlike last time, i got no confirmation, but after a couple of days, there was a knock at the door, at 8:30am.
same delivery guy, and he walked right in, brushing me as he went past, and then immediately apologizing. no matter, its a very narrow hallway for two people and two cans of water. so he lingered, i guess the rest of the order was downstairs. i said ok, where is the other can? i gave him my empty can and asked for the bill. he started to talk about my living situation, and asked questions about who i stayed with, who i slept with, and when were they coming back. 'thats none of your business'. at this point i felt uncomfortable and suggested he go get the rest. he left.
he came back, half an hour later. no bill, no fizzy soda. he had said that my deposit would cover the cost of the 1 litre case. so i attempted to make out a bill for my own record. he asked to use the bathroom by basically unbuttoning his pants as i was adding up the figures. he gestured and said that we was going to go. i let him, because i didnt want him relieve himself on my floor. i turned around. he came out, and i tried to get him out as fast as possible. i found my old bill. he sat on my bed. i asked him to get up. i showed him the bill i had made. 3 cans + 3 deposits + 1 case - 1 deposit. he agreed. then he touched my ass.
so i yelled, dont touch me, dont treat me that way, get out, never come back here again, i will never call bisleri again, i will tell my aunty and you will be in BIG trouble. you do not do that again. ever. !
i doubt he cared.
i gave him the agreed upon money, and he left.
he came back 10 minutes later demanding the deposit. i yelled again, that i had returned the bottle, therefore was entitled to the deposit. no luck. i gave up.
so my plans to enjoy the morning free from class, and get to the office earlier were slightly derailed, and i basically sat stunned replaying the situation in my head. and then spent a good two hours cleaning the room.
when i got in, i finally explained to the director why i sometimes dont feel like walking around on the streets, why i sometimes take a while to come in... its not because im scared, its because i am sick of dealing with it. the morning being an extreme example of the more common brush by, hand touch, or stare down. she advised to make a scene. slap if need be. and move out of their way. all things i can do, although i still feel quite strongly that i should never have to.
so now i dont know what to do. i need water. the water man is rude. based on my current consumption, i have approximately 2.5 weeks to sort this one out.
update: a friend filed a complaint, and i re-filed a week after. the man is supposedly being 'sacked' on june 15. once his paperwork goes through. and will never come to my building again. they seemed to take it seriously, although i doubt that if its taking weeks of paperwork, the man will actually be sacked. as long as i never see him again, im fine.
update 2: my tap is now leaking.
when i placed the order, i was feeling indulgent. 3 cans of water, 1 case of 1 litre bottles, and 1 case of fizzy soda. please. unlike last time, i got no confirmation, but after a couple of days, there was a knock at the door, at 8:30am.
same delivery guy, and he walked right in, brushing me as he went past, and then immediately apologizing. no matter, its a very narrow hallway for two people and two cans of water. so he lingered, i guess the rest of the order was downstairs. i said ok, where is the other can? i gave him my empty can and asked for the bill. he started to talk about my living situation, and asked questions about who i stayed with, who i slept with, and when were they coming back. 'thats none of your business'. at this point i felt uncomfortable and suggested he go get the rest. he left.
he came back, half an hour later. no bill, no fizzy soda. he had said that my deposit would cover the cost of the 1 litre case. so i attempted to make out a bill for my own record. he asked to use the bathroom by basically unbuttoning his pants as i was adding up the figures. he gestured and said that we was going to go. i let him, because i didnt want him relieve himself on my floor. i turned around. he came out, and i tried to get him out as fast as possible. i found my old bill. he sat on my bed. i asked him to get up. i showed him the bill i had made. 3 cans + 3 deposits + 1 case - 1 deposit. he agreed. then he touched my ass.
so i yelled, dont touch me, dont treat me that way, get out, never come back here again, i will never call bisleri again, i will tell my aunty and you will be in BIG trouble. you do not do that again. ever. !
i doubt he cared.
i gave him the agreed upon money, and he left.
he came back 10 minutes later demanding the deposit. i yelled again, that i had returned the bottle, therefore was entitled to the deposit. no luck. i gave up.
so my plans to enjoy the morning free from class, and get to the office earlier were slightly derailed, and i basically sat stunned replaying the situation in my head. and then spent a good two hours cleaning the room.
when i got in, i finally explained to the director why i sometimes dont feel like walking around on the streets, why i sometimes take a while to come in... its not because im scared, its because i am sick of dealing with it. the morning being an extreme example of the more common brush by, hand touch, or stare down. she advised to make a scene. slap if need be. and move out of their way. all things i can do, although i still feel quite strongly that i should never have to.
so now i dont know what to do. i need water. the water man is rude. based on my current consumption, i have approximately 2.5 weeks to sort this one out.
update: a friend filed a complaint, and i re-filed a week after. the man is supposedly being 'sacked' on june 15. once his paperwork goes through. and will never come to my building again. they seemed to take it seriously, although i doubt that if its taking weeks of paperwork, the man will actually be sacked. as long as i never see him again, im fine.
update 2: my tap is now leaking.
15 May 2008
sweet hydration
it took a week... almost exactly. the bisleri truck finally found its way. after repeated phone calls, i learned that it was simply lost. too bad soccer is not more popular, no one seems to know where exactly cooperage ground is.
now i have 20 litres of what im hoping is pristine drinking water, on a pretty efficient stand, with a nice secure faucet 'to avoid contamination'. although the delivery man had to fiddle with the inside of it to get a tight seal, but ill pretend i didnt see that.
i can also overlook the valuable real estate im losing, as it now occupies half of my window seat/drying rack/food prep counter.... and that the order was slightly short of the two bottles i asked for. who cares when youve got 20 litres to practically bathe in?
08 May 2008
hello mineral water
since i arrived in india, ive been having a rather ironic struggle with hydration. i consume at least three litres of water daily, more if i have to cook, make tea, wash vegetables, etc. at some point, i plan on tracking my other usage (doing wash, showers, dishes) at some but right now im concentrating on consumable h2o, and the water out of the tap is definitely not.
my daily consumption falls short of the recommended 64 oz, and its difficult enough to deal with. the location of my flat, and my spending habits preclude me from delivery at two of the local groceries, and i dont trust the other, after seeing brownish interpretations of 'packaged drinking water' on the shelves. that leaves me with the nearly constant chore of stocking up on the way home. thankfully ive had over a month to practice.
i know know that i can count on himalayan to taste slightly nasty, but to come reliably sealed. bisleri is a good standby, aquafina and kinley both come with the risk of high chemical content and sometimes come less than properly sealed. scary. i know which stores have a reliable stock of two litre bottles, minimizing as much as possible the inevitable waste. id love to just pick up a 5 litre bottle, but they require deposits, and are delivery only with a minimum purchase of 1000rs.
so. the flat doesnt really have the infrastructure to install an aquaguard, and although im sure i could boil, treat and uv zap my water straight from the tap, id honestly rather not. next step, try to get a water cooler.
after looking at various options, bisleri, with their easy online ordering and 'safety faucet' seemed like the best option. i see the truck all over town. i sent my sms, and presto, someone called me back to confirm, yes, delivery of two 20 litre bottles, a stand, and faucet, either tonight or tomorrow morning. since i cant wait for it home, i left the money with the landlady, she let the security downstairs know. perfect. i am so excited.
that was thursday. its now almost the following wednesday. im not sure what sort of communication mistakes im making, but i call bisleri at least once a day, and they are ever so reassuring, that yes m'am... by 1230/430/630 this afternoon. and still no delivery. so in the meantime, ive gone though another 24 bottles.
thanks, i can set up a bowling alley in my room now.
such a tease.....
my daily consumption falls short of the recommended 64 oz, and its difficult enough to deal with. the location of my flat, and my spending habits preclude me from delivery at two of the local groceries, and i dont trust the other, after seeing brownish interpretations of 'packaged drinking water' on the shelves. that leaves me with the nearly constant chore of stocking up on the way home. thankfully ive had over a month to practice.
i know know that i can count on himalayan to taste slightly nasty, but to come reliably sealed. bisleri is a good standby, aquafina and kinley both come with the risk of high chemical content and sometimes come less than properly sealed. scary. i know which stores have a reliable stock of two litre bottles, minimizing as much as possible the inevitable waste. id love to just pick up a 5 litre bottle, but they require deposits, and are delivery only with a minimum purchase of 1000rs.
so. the flat doesnt really have the infrastructure to install an aquaguard, and although im sure i could boil, treat and uv zap my water straight from the tap, id honestly rather not. next step, try to get a water cooler.
after looking at various options, bisleri, with their easy online ordering and 'safety faucet' seemed like the best option. i see the truck all over town. i sent my sms, and presto, someone called me back to confirm, yes, delivery of two 20 litre bottles, a stand, and faucet, either tonight or tomorrow morning. since i cant wait for it home, i left the money with the landlady, she let the security downstairs know. perfect. i am so excited.
that was thursday. its now almost the following wednesday. im not sure what sort of communication mistakes im making, but i call bisleri at least once a day, and they are ever so reassuring, that yes m'am... by 1230/430/630 this afternoon. and still no delivery. so in the meantime, ive gone though another 24 bottles.
thanks, i can set up a bowling alley in my room now.
such a tease.....
06 May 2008
16 April 2008
the nature of stuff
this project is about water and networks of interaction in the city. for the past four weeks, ive been trying to focus, narrow, and refine my intention of study.
tankers like this override/fill in the gaps/compensate for the lack of hard, planned systems of water distribution infrastructure that the city built over 100 years ago. which makes the task of focusing, narrowing, and refining a big sloppy mess. so far ive been learning that there are layers upon layers of formal and informal networks that qualify for what as a westerner, i would consider to be a fairly fixed system. it is literally a moving target.
everyday i pass things like this:
these guys are not the worst offenders. most of them are dripping at a rate that would deplete half the tank on the way from the northern suburbs to say, cuffe parade.
the city is surrounded by water, parts of it used to be water, yet most of the water that comes out of taps is sourced far outside the city limits. public storage wells have been covered over and closed off. access today is a relative term dependent on time, money, and developers interest.
"The water we seek is the fluid that drenches the inner and outer spaces of the imagination. More tangible than space, it is even more elusive for two reasons: first, because this water has a nearly unlimited ability to carry metaphors and second, because water, even more subtly than space, always possesses two sides... Water remains a chaos until a creative story interprets its seemingly equivocation as being the quivering ambiguity of life." - Ivan Illich H2O and the Waters of Forgetfulness
on a personal, and rather ironic note, everyday i have to go restock my water bottle supply because i still have not secured reliable home delivery. every other day i crush plastic bottles in my bathroom because its so noisy i cringe.
13 April 2008
monkey do
this weekend there was an excursion to elephanta island.
it’s a small island off the coast of south mumbai, and the ferry allows for a great views of the eastern waterfront, port facilities, and petrol refineries, through the smog.
on the island there are requisite souvenir stands, food stalls, and dogs, cats, cows, goats, monkeys. and three small villages. no elephants.
also litter filled marsh, beach front, and former lake, and other environmental hazards to be described later.
the main attraction for most visitors are the caves, but we mostly walked around the perimeter of the island, up some hills, through some trees and back down again avoiding the crowds, and sun. the caves we did see though, were nice.
it was amazing to finally step even just slightly outside of the city.
these girls showed us a little of their village, and seemed to multiply, gremlin style, when close to the water.and im convinced that mumbai looks most beautiful at sunset.
