7 Great Techniques by Which You Can Easily Harvest Rainwater at Your Home This Monsoon

7 Great Techniques by Which You Can Easily Harvest Rainwater at Your Home This Monsoon

Sanchari Pal

 June 10, 2016

Did you know that if Bangalore manages to recharge even 30%  of the rainwater it gets, it will have more that what the Cauvery River is supplying currently to the city, while also cutting down on the huge energy bill!

Water. So often taken for granted until those shortages hit home.This monsoon, instead of just playing the waiting game and anxiously watching the horizon, here’s how you can gather those precious drops by making your own rainwater harvesting system at home. Now is the time to become a water wise warrior!

    1.               Install a Rain Barrel

The easiest way to harvest rain is through a rain barrel (make your own from a large trash can or an old drum) linked to a pipe fitted to collect rainwater from the rooftop and verandah of the house.To prevent the barrel from becoming a mosquito breeding ground, fasten a tight-fitting top to it, and screen the ends of the downspouts leading into the barrels. Or simply add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the stored rainwater. It coats the water’s surface and kills larvae by depriving them of oxygen.

2. Create a Rain Garden

A rain garden is a sunken landscape that uses native plants, local soil, and mulch to remove pollutants from water, and allows it to percolate into the ground. It’s easy to create, looks good all year-round and has a positive impact on the environment. Here’s how to make a rain garden in your own backyard.

3. Make your own DIY Rain Chain

Rain chains are not only beautiful, simple to make requiring few tools and materials, but also a more attractive alternative to standard PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe downspouts. These fun, fashionable & environment-friendly accessories help avoid the runoff by transporting rainwater from the collecting pipe downwards to a drain or to a storage container. Check out the instructions for DIY rain chains here and decide which one would look great in your home!

4. Naturally recharge your wells and borewells

Rooftop rainwater is led through pipes with a filter at the end to open dug wells for replenishing underground aquifers. Based on this idea, the ‘Mazhapolima’ (bounty of rain) Recharge Project of Thrissur was born. As a result, today, not only is there abundant water in summer, there is also reduced salinity, turbidity, and colour in the well water.

A recharge pit for borewells is also a good idea as it pushes back the surface water into the groundwater system. Usually, a recharge pit is one metre in diameter and six metres deep, lined with concrete rings having perforations. These perforations let filtered and de-silted water seep from the sides increasing the groundwater table.

5. Set up a Splash Block

Setting up a splash block is a great idea to divert the flowing rainwater away from the structure’s foundation.It is a piece of concrete or plastic of a roughly rectangular shape, and is placed below the downspout that carries rainwater from the roof of a house during rainfall. It absorbs the force of the water that is getting diverted from the roof, and also prevents holes from being dug in the garden due to the eroding force of the pouring water. Here’show to make one yourself.

6. Build a Rain Saucer

If you are looking for a fast DIY way to collect rainwater without much hassle, rain saucers form a great free standing rain collection system which fill up surprisingly fast. Looking like an upside-down umbrella, the rain saucer unfolds to form a funnel which fills the containers with rainwater. Since this easy-to-deploy system catches rain straight from the sky, it also decreases the chances of contamination. Here’s how you can make one.

7. A Reservoir for Rain

Rainwater that falls on the rooftop, be it flat or slanting, can be made to run through a pipe to a storage facility like a sump or a tank. This water can be filtered to purify the larger particles before being stored in rainwater harvest (RWH) tanks. By using stored rainwater for washing cars and watering gardens, the use of underground water can be minimised. A win-win system for economy and environment, this also helps in saving energy and keeps the energy bill to a minimum.

You can know more here about the different types of RWH systems for different types of homes, as recommended by the Government. You can also visit the beautiful rainwater harvesting theme park at Jayanagar in Bangalore or the Rain Centre at Chennai where one can see several models on display and learn about different rainwater harvesting methods. A free consultation is also available with engineers at these places for a basic rainwater harvesting design. So this time, when it rains, your homes will be prepared to save and store the substance which is the lifeline to human existence itself.

(Courtesy: The Better India)

NITI Aayog panel moots legalising Agril. Land leasing, yet another attempt of the anti-farmer Govt to CorporatiseFarming and snatch the sole source of Livelihood to the majority of Rural, Small & Marginal Land-holders.

Looming Drought in many parts of India, still Media & Govt. oblivious of the mis-happening in making.

Is agriculture, a business?

Agriculture; India’s largest private-sector enterprise, 119 million farmers (“cultivators”) and another 144 million landless labourers, 2011 Census.

“uttam kheti, madhyam vyapar, kanishtha naukri"

(supreme is farming, mediocre is trade and most lowly is service)”. 

Considered Most Respectable Business ; 

Ambanis, Adani, TATA, DS, Amitabh Bachchan,80% MPs, Nitin Gadkari, Sharad Pawar, etc

Universal Laws EXCLUSIVE to INDIAN AGRICULTURE

RULE-1

Agriculture; only business with both Production (Sowing- Harvesting) & 

Price Risks (Market Manipulations, Price Crash, Middlemen, Inadequate Market Infra)

RULE-2

Agriculture; only business you buy everything retail(Seed, Pesticides, Fertilisers, Machinery etc.) and sell everything wholesale (All Farm Produce). 

RULE-3

Agriculture; only business where expansion is a crime

RULE-4

Agriculture; only business where introduction of new technology is a matter of controversy (Dwarf wheat varieties - GreenRevolution & Cross-bred Cows - WhiteRevolution and currently GM crops)

Agriculture Ministry Issues Directives to the Cotton producing States.

Why?
To check the adverse affect of white fly on cotton.

Context:
White fly had inflicted tremendous damage to cotton last year in Punjab and Haryana.

Background:
Elaborate assessment and analysis has been carried out about the loss inflicted last year
Sowing process of cotton is set in, in the beginning of April in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Directives/ Recommendations :
* Sowing process may be carried out within the precincts of scheduled timeframe.
* Only recommended seeds might be utilized.
* Close watch might be kept on the movement of pests.
* Timely sprinkling to check its spread culture Ministry Issues Directives to the States producing cotton.

Sedition v/s Freedom of Expression

Sedition v/s Freedom of Expression

§  What is Sedition:- Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code defines Sedition. The offence consists in exciting or attempting to excite in others certain bad feelings towards the government.

§  Why in news: Because of the ongoing case against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

§  Salient Features of Sedition :- It has historical and constitutional perspectives, which are explained below.

§  Conflict between Sedition and Freedom of Speech :- Freedom of Speech cannot be absolute, it has to be curtailed in the interest of the society for maintenance of public order.

§  Why the law of sedition should be repealed :- It is detrimental for the freedom of speech and expression, which is our fundamental right.

§  Why the law of sedition should stay:- To maintain public order.

§  Conclusion:- India of the 21st century does not require a law used by the colonial government to suppress India’s voice.

What is Sedition?

Section 124A of the IPC defines sedition and says:

§  whoever by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representation or otherwise brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, the government established by law; or

§  whoever by the above means excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law, has committed the offence of sedition.

The punishment prescribed varies from imprisonment up to three years to life imprisonment, with fine or without it.

The first explanation says that disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity.

The News

This is particularly important in the context of the ongoing case against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Salient Features

Historical Perspective

Sedition was not a part of the original Indian Penal Code(IPC) enacted in 1860 and was introduced in 1870. Britishers famously used the clause in three separate, successful trials of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and, also, later, in prosecuting Mahatma Gandhi in 1922.

Constitutional Perspective

The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court explained the amplitude of sedition for the first time in 1962 in the case of Kedarnath Vs. State of Bihar (1962).  The court held that “public disorder or the reasonable anticipation or likelihood of public disorder is the gist of the offence”.  The court was of the view that sedition implies resistance or lawlessness in some form and it was emphasized  that if there is no incitement to violence, there is no sedition. So, as per the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, a person can be charged with sedition only if there is incitement to violence in his speech or writing or an intention to create disorder.

 Sedition v/s Freedom of Speech

Sedition

Freedom of Speech

The words which directly provoke violence or which directly threaten the maintenance of public order deserve censure is unquestionable, especially given India’s constitutional structure.

It is abundantly clear that freedom of speech and expression within the Indian legal tradition includes within its ambit any form of criticism, dissent and protest. It cannot be held hostage to narrow ideas of what constitutes “anti national” speech and we hope that the courts will step in not merely to defend free speech but also pass strictures on those who abuse the legal process to create a chilling effect on constitutional rights.

The Argument Against Sedition

§  At its core, it is a devastating provision that is meant to assist in crushing all opposition to the ruling dispensation.

§  Its use continues to have the effect of chilling free speech and expression in India.

§  Section 124-A of the IPC negates the right to dissent, which is an essential condition of any reasonable government.

§  Viewed thus, it is Section 124-A that is “anti-India”, that is opposed to the idea of a legitimate, liberal democratic state

The Argument for Sedition Law

§  To maintain the public order

§  It would act as deterrence for anti-social elements.

Conclusion

Despite the strict construction adopted by the Supreme Court, the law enforcement agencies have always used it against artists, public men, intellectuals, et al for criticising the governments. In fact the Supreme Court itself did not apply these strict principles to the speech of Kedarnath and his conviction.

The Supreme Court, being the protector of the fundamental rights of the citizens may step in now and declare Section 124A unconstitutional. India of the 21st century does not require a law used by the colonial government to suppress India’s voice.

The line between dissent and treason may be thin to some, but the ability to distinguish between the two is a constitutional duty of the state. And given the history of its misuse and its incompatibility with a modern Constitution, Section 124-A of the IPC ought to be junked altogether.

Character v/s Reputation

“Character Is Made By What You Stand For, Reputation What You Fall For”

Simply stated – it is what we think of ourselves, the values we stand for and the definition of who we are as a person and the thoughts we resemble. It is about those things which matter the most to us and we are willing to go the extra mile cos it means so much to us and we relate to it so strongly.

Reputation:

This is simply what others think about us. We all like a little bit of publicity. We all like it when someone appreciates us for what we do and we would like to be known and celebrated for our good deeds. But it so happens that reputation is a binding factor whereas character is a much simpler aspect without many boundaries or limitations.

Character is what you do for yourself while reputation is what you do for others, for the society, for the people around you. It is what you want them to think about you. And it is not all true, is it?

Character on the other hand is simple plain truth, it is only for yourself and no one else. People at the receiving end don’t even get to see the half of it cos we can easily mask the distasteful aspects of character. But then what do we have to stand for – character or reputation?

Well, the answer is fairly simple, any 10 year old kid will tell us that we will have to stand up for character and we all know it too. But a part of being grown up is that we do expect the world to appreciate us and to an extend we do depend on it as well.

Don’t let the reputation rule you or define what you want in life and what your values are. You can’t care for people just cos the society expects you to. You can’t help someone in distress just cos your PR advises you to. These things are the ones which mean something to you and they retain their essence only cos you feel for it and do it accordingly. Not cos an idiot PR told you so. Reputation can be shallow but character goes beyond that.

It is deeper than that and more meaningful than that. Above all, your character is the true fibre of who you really are while reputation is what you want to be perceived as. It is as  simple as that!

10 Brilliant Quotes on Character:

1) Be more concerned about your character than your reputation cos character is what you really are, while reputation is merely what others think you are

– John Wooden

2) Character is like a tree and reputation is like a shadow, the shadow is what we think of, the tree is the real thing

– Abraham Lincoln

3) No change of circumstances can repair a defect in character

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

4) Character, not circumstance makes the person

– Booker.T. Washington

5) Character is the real foundation of all worthwhile success

– John Hays Hammond

6) Knowledge will give you power but character, respect

– Bruce Lee

7) Character is who you are under pressure, not when everything is looking fine

8) Character is the result of two things – mental attitude and the way we spend our time

9) Character like a photograph develops in darkness

10) Success is always temporary when all said and done, the only thing you’ll have left is character

(Courtest: Vinay Nagaraju, INSPIRE99)

CSE'2015; CSAT paper made Qualifying@33%

Civil Services Examination 2015

CSAT paper made Qualifying@33% score

  

 At last, GOI has conceded to the demands of last year protests by a large group of aspirants to existing biases and disparities in the CSE prelim exam since 2011, mainly on account of the GS Paper-II (Aptitude & Comprehension part) aka CSAT to the aspirants belonging to Rural & Hindi/ Regional languages background, and benefit only certain group of candidates from Engineering, Medical, Science, Management & other Technically Educated at the cost of Humanities & Social Sciences, which constitutes the major chunk engaged in the preparation from considerable period of time.

With these welcome changes, it is hoped that the undue tilt would be reduced to the extent possible as nothing is absolutely perfect.

The Government has approved the following in respect of Civil Services Examination:
ü  An Expert Committee would be constituted to comprehensively examine various issues raised from time to time namely, eligibility, syllabus, scheme and pattern of Civil Services Examination.

ü  Till such time the Government takes decision on the recommendation of the above Committee, the General Studies Paper-II(CSAT) in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will remain a qualifying paper with a minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.

ü  The English Language comprehension skill portion from General Studies Paper-II of Civil Services(Preliminary) Examination will continue to remain excluded.

ü  The above decisions are incorporated in the CSE Rules-2015.

ALL THE BEST for CSE’2015!

Burn waste, pay Rs 5,000 fine: NGT

Burn waste, pay Rs 5,000 fine: NGT

The bench noted that “it is on record” that while burning of garbage and other waste was not the only source of pollution, it accounted for “29.4% of air pollution, with regard to PM 10”.

In yet another bid to check air pollution in Delhi and the rest of the NCR, National Green Tribunal recently banned burning of waste in the open.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed authorities in Delhi and NCR to impose a fine of Rs 5,000 on anyone caught burning waste — garbage, leaves, plastic, rubber or other items — in open areas.

NGT said Deputy Commissioners, Director of Horticulture, Area SHOs, Assistant Commissioners and Sanitary Officers of the area would be held responsible if there was any violation of its order.

The bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said all authorities are duty bound to oblige with the tribunal's orders. "We make it clear that the orders of the NGT are to be complied with as a decree or order of the civil court," the order said.

The bench noted that “it is on record” that while burning of garbage and other waste was not the only source of pollution, it accounted for “29.4% of air pollution, with regard to PM 10”. It also noted that burning of waste emitted pollutants, some of which were even carcinogenic.

It had data to support the view that waste burning is responsible for a major portion of emissions in the city. Nearly 29.4% of the total PM10 (coarse, pollution particles) are from waste burning, the bench said.

"Its contribution in terms of PM2.5 is not placed before us, despite our earlier orders. Burning trash in the open area produces many pollutants, including dioxins, particulate pollution, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), hexachlorobenzene—ash and fumes released from such burning can be carcinogenic," the bench noted.

It added that there was a need to issue prohibitory orders and “imposition of fine and heavy compensation” on those who for “short gains avoid hard work required of them in discharge of their duties and allow burning of garbage”.

The Central government approached the NGT with a plea seeking a “reasonable time of six months for suggesting measures for addressing pollution concerns”, in reference to the Tribunal’s previous order banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles. The NGT is expected to hear issues related to vehicular pollution on the next date of hearing.

In addition, the NGT asked the Delhi government to take a decision regarding new landfill sites “as soon as possible” and not later than three weeks. It also directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to conduct an inspection of air quality around all thermal power plants in Delhi and NCR within two weeks and submit a report to the bench. The NGT also inquired about the “extent of fly ash” used in brick kilns, while directing authorities to submit a report to check whether brick kilns “operating in NCR have the consent of Boards and are adhering to the prescribed emission norms”.

While reiterating its previous order on prohibition on burning of waste in open areas, it added that “any person who notices burning of any material” will have the right to register a complaint with the station house officer, civic corporations, DPCC or other local authorities.

The NGT directed authorities that for every incident of burning of these material, the person who is found burning such material and/or responsible for/or abating such burning would be liable to pay compensation in terms of the Section 15 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. He/she will be liable to pay a sum Rs 5,000, instantaneously.

This money would be maintained by corporations and authorities as a “separate fund to be utilised for improvement, restoration, restitution of the environmental degradation resulting from such activity,” it said.

The bench also directed corporations to provide area-wise composting pits within one week so that there is proper disposal of organic waste. It directed DDA and Delhi government to provide alternative landfill sites within three weeks as the three landfills are already saturated.

Following an NGT order, DPCC had recently provided a complaint page on a social networking site and a WhatsApp number but lawyers claimed it was not being used widely.

The green bench directed all corporations to notify “within two days” numbers, websites or any other process through which complaints can be made.