Remediation Of Pollution Of A Man-made Lake In Vizianagaram, A.P., India

About 130 years ago, the Maharaja family of Vizianagaram implemented a program of building many tanks for storing the water resulting from monsoon rains. One such reservoir for rain-harvested water is Pedda Cheruvu (Big Tank or Man-made lake), which has a surface area of 170 acres and its mid-depth is about 12′. The water stored was used as a source of drinking water in its earlier days, and also used for irrigation of crops downstream of the . With progression of time, several communities living upstream of the Pedda Cheruvu are discharging their wastewater to the tank via a large drain. As a result, it is polluted and has become an eyesore, a haven for mosquito breeding, and a nuisance emanating bad odor and swarms of mosquitoes. Filaria became an endemic disease due to the biting of mosquitoes, as they are the carriers of the parasite, W. bancrofti that causes filaria.

Bharathi Theertha’s Dr. Prakasam Tata, after persuading for 15 years the local government’s administrators was finally able to convince one District Magistrate and Collector, Dr. Rajat Kumar to build an highly cost effective and efficient waste stabilization pond system. Dr. Tata provided the designs, and it became a reality in 2003 at a cost of $800,000. The odors have disappeared, and so is the nuisance of mosquitoes. The surround- ings of the Pedda Cheruvu were beauti- fied, and a park like environment was created on the tank bed area.

Providing Smokeless Stoves (Chulas) In Villages Near Chitrkoot, M.P. India

With funds raised by the Rotary Club of Naperville in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Satna, Bharathi Theertha installed smokeless chulas with the help of Deendayal Research Institute in all the homes of eight villages at a cost of $25,050. These chulas were installed with the objective of eliminating smoke in the kitchens of the homes. Villagers used to cook their food on open flames using leaves, sticks, agricultural waste, paper, dried animal dung as fuel. Such fuels produce a lot of smoke and fill the kitchens with smoke as there was usually no ventilation in these kitchens. Smoke causes various respiratory diseases and cancer. In order to improve the indoor air quality, smokeless chulas were installed with chimneys through which the smoke was allowed to be discharged outside of the houses into the ambient air.

Subsequently, briquetting equipment provided by the Engineers without Borders- India Chapter at a cost o f aobut Rs. 2 lacs was placed to make briquettes out of the same materials that were used for cooking before the installation of the smokeless chulas. These briquettes when used as fuel for the smokeless chulas smoke was minimized.

Projects – Solar Lanterns Project

The objective of this project is to provide Solar Lanterns to replace kerosene lamps, in off-grid villages to improve the health, safety, education, employment, and energy needs of the villagers. Kerosene lanterns use heavily subsidized kerosene, which is a fire hazard and a pollutant that causes indoor air pollution that result in severe respiratory problems for children and adults alike living in village huts.

The following are the benefits to villagers:

Elimination of the use of hazardous kerosene hurricane lanterns and substituting them with sustainable and pollution-free solar lamps at an affordable cost to the rural poor,

better availability of green and clean lighting for income earning crafts activities,

more reading hours for school-age children living in the huts,

lighting for school/adult education activities,

elimination of burns to babies, children and fire hazards, and

potential for business opportunities to local entrepreneurs, and employment opportunities to women and men.

With the initiative of Bharathi Theertha and India Development Coalition of America, the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL USA received a matching grant of $25,000 from Rotary International Foundation to provide solar lanterns to the homes of poor villagers living eight villages of Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) The Rotary Club of Satna, M.P., our host club, with the help of Deen Dayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot, M.P. India provided the local support to distribute and maintain the solar lanterns in about 420 households.

Villagers agreed to pay Rs. 60 per month for leasing the lanterns against the Rs. 180 they were spending per month to buy keorsene to light their hurricane lanterns. Solar lanterns when fully charged yield light for six hours vs. three hours that villagers were getting from their hurricane lanterns using kerosene as fuel.

After the project was successfully implemented in eight villages, The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) staff visited these villages. They were impressed, and provided a grant equivalent to $75,000 to procure solar lanterns and the equipment to charge the lanterns. With this grant solar lanterns and charging stations were installed in the homes of 36 villages.

This project has benefitted a total of 10,500 people living in 2,620 tenements of 44 villages of Madhya Pradesh, India. Also, in each village it provided employment for two poor women, whose job is to service the solar lanterns, charge them at the solar latern charging station, and delivering them to the villagers. The villagers bring their lanterns in the morning for charging to the charging stations, and take For a pupil who has difficulty writing a composition but is having trouble with the writing process, an article helper could be the answer to your problems. Using an essay helper can help your grade increases that you write while also learning about how to write and use essay terminology. An article helper can help you to get your essay writing process under control if you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of work that is required of you to provide an essay helper article. The lanterns back in the evening after they are fully charged. [rev_slider lantern]