Grey water recycling a must

Approximately 50-70% of the water used in your house results in grey water generation   | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock

Grey water recycling is a must for a water-starved country like India, says Nidhi Adlakha

While we are all washing our hands regularly to stay safe from the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot afford to take water for granted by leaving taps on for the 20-second cleansing routine. And since you are now spending a lot more time indoors, how about looking at setting up a grey water system at home?
Approximately 50-70% of the water used in your house results in grey water generation and not even 5% of this is recycled in urban households. This water is suitable for in-situ recycling using simple, low-cost technologies, and it is rather unfortunate that the concept is not commonplace in a water-starved country like India.
With World Water Day being observed tomorrow, and a harsh summer upon us, it’s time we look at not just using water judiciously, but also recycling what we can. Dr. P.Venkateswaran, Deputy General Manager — Operations & Maintenance, at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, says that traditional in-built practices like landscaping with grey water and rainwater harvesting have diminished due to rapid urbanisation and the commercialisation of land. “Scientists and technocrats are working hard to find alternative ways to source fresh water, like desalination, cloud precipitation technologies, etc. But these advanced technologies are resulting in making water more expensive, artificial and unaffordable for the common man. So when we have simple, reliable, eco-friendly and cost-effective methods like recycling, why should we opt for costly technologies?”

Rising awareness

The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board is championing the use of treated water (grey and black) for supply to industries, thereby reducing the pressure on freshwater demand, says Venkateswaran. Thermal power plants and industries like Chennai Petrochemical Ltd., Madras Fertilizers Ltd. and Madras Petrochemicals Ltd. are already using treated sewage for industrial purposes. “Residential apartments are using reclaimed water for flushing and landscaping applications due to a statutory compulsion, but the availability of open space for disposal is a major constraint,” he says.

To the point

• In his 2005 book, Self Reliance in Water, Chennai-based environmentalist Indukanth Ragade breaks down the recycling process. He classifies used water into three categories: sewage (black water), kitchen outflow and bath water (grey water).
• ‘Good building practice requires that these three streams of water be taken out of our homes into three different pipelines,’ he writes, and elaborates on ways to treat wastewater using soil and plants, with installation and maintenance tips, and ways to integrate rainwater harvesting and grey water systems.
• The author can be contacted at isragade@yahoo.com

Venkateswaran explains that if grey water is utilised at source, additional costs of treatment, disposal, etc. can be avoided. “India’s urban areas generate 61,948 million litres (MLD) of sewage a day, of which about 35% is collected and treated in sewage treatment plants. In Chennai, 1,200 MLD of water is utilised every day, a minimum of 600 MLD of grey water is generated, which gets microbially contaminated after mixing with black water.”
Going by these numbers, it is evident that there is immense scope and need to recycle grey water. Luckily, there has been a lot of awareness of late, especially in urban areas, says Abhijit Sathe, who founded JalSevak Solutions (jalsevak.in) in 2016. The Navi Mumbai-based start-up was founded with the objective of providing compact, onsite greywater recycling solutions to residential customers. “We perform filtration using dual stage fabric filters and chemical treatment through a controlled dosage of chlorine. The system is low-maintenance; only the periodic cleaning of filters and refilling of chemicals in the chamber is required,” says Sathe, who developed the solution with support from IIT Kanpur’s Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre.

(left) Abhijit Sathe of JalSevak Solutions and (right) an septic system being cleaned and unblocked   | Photo Credit:

Taking me through his water-saving system, he explains how an average Indian residing in an urban area utilises approximately 180 litres of water every day, of which 45-50 litres (25%) is spent on toilet flushing. “For a family of four, the total amount of grey water generated is approximately 400 litres per day. Using our solutions, this water can be recycled for gardening and toilet flushing, saving 400 litres of fresh water every day,” says Sathe, adding that a small family can potentially conserve 12,000 litres of fresh water every month.
Quoting the example of Kanpur’s Jai Narayan School, he explains that with the new recycling system, the school is saving approximately 3,000 litres of fresh water every day. “They are reusing laundry wastewater to flush toilets in the boys’ hostel. The school is thus saving 3,000 litres of groundwater which would otherwise be used in flushing.”

Cost matters

While awareness has increased, consumers are not open to installing costly solutions. “There is huge demand for cost-effective and compact solutions that require minimum re-plumbing,” says Sathe, who has installed recycling systems in Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. For an individual house under construction, installing the solution will cost anywhere between ₹45,000 and ₹65,000. “The price includes the cost of filters, chemical chambers, storage tanks, pump and supporting controls, and plumbing. For an existing individual home, this cost can go up depending on the level of re-plumbing necessary.”
In the absence of automated solutions, people need to manually recycle grey water by using wastewater from the washing machine to wash toilets. “A few customers have also developed a primitive piping mechanism to send kitchen wastewater to their gardens. However, such systems do not function in the long run and suffer from lack of maintenance,” warns Sathe.

Keep in mind

• Do
• 1. Consult a professional to design and install the system
• 2. Segregate light and dark grey water
• 3. Install sub-surface or covered drains for irrigating landscape areas
• 4. Disinfect treated grey water to use for purposes other than for gardening/ landscaping
• 5. Ensure there is no stagnation of grey water and redirect the surplus to sewerage lines / ground water recharging.
• Don’t
• 1. Store untreated grey water for more than 24 hours
• 2. Discard concentrated liquids such as used oil and left-over food in grey water pipes.
• 3. Allow excess treated grey water to mix with any water body.

Highlighting the benefits at a commercial level, Eshwar N, Chief Marketing Officer at Casagrand, says the STPs (set up by Green Earth Systems) at their various projects in Chennai, Bengaluru and Coimbatore have worked to bring down water consumption. “Water from these plants is used to flush toilets and water landscaped areas. The average estimated water conserved [on a daily basis] is 25 litres per head, for flushing, and 1.5 litres per sq. ft for landscaping,” he says, “The approximate cost to set up a grey water treatment system for an apartment complex of 10 units is ₹3 lakh.”
Eshwar adds that while water recycling as a concept is widespread, there is limited knowledge on the collection and use of grey water. “With modern apartments using STPs integrated with grey water, awareness is gradually increasing.”

What you can do

What people need to do is incorporate recycling systems during construction. Venkateswaran of Sri City advises people to install a ‘dual plumbing’ mechanism to use grey water / STP treated water.

An aerial view of a water treatment tank  

Light grey water sources are bathrooms, showers, hand basins, laundry rinses and RO rejects, whereas dark grey water sources are dish washing, the first wash from the washing machine and kitchen sinks. “At an economical level, every citizen can divert the bathroom wastewater to a small sump followed by a root zone treatment and gravity sand filters. This method doesn’t require power, chemical, or maintenance. Post filtration, this water can be pumped and used for flushing toilets. A minimum of 2.5 sq. ft space per person is adequate,” he explains.

A complete grey (light + dark) water reusing system, including kitchen waste, requires an oil/ grease trap and a sedimentation facility in addition to the system. “A four member family can reuse 360 litres of water a day. An area of about 50-75 sq.ft. is required and the investment will range from ₹50,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, and will vary on a case-by-case basis. You can recover this amount in 2-3 years by saving on buying fresh water. Such a treatment facility can also be set up on an open terrace,” concludes Venkateswaran.          March 20, 2020 

Chennai’s walk-to-work hubs june 2019

With cities growing rapidly and infrastructure not keeping pace, the daunting work commute has given a massive impetus to the ‘walk-to-work’ concept in India. Cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad were the forerunners of this primarily IT/ITeS-driven phenomenon. Chennai is the next city to follow suit.

Top hotspots

Along OMR, locations such as Perungudi, Thalambur and Perumbakkam offer multiple advantages including a short commute to workplace hubs and an upmarket lifestyle at a comparably lower cost. These options make perfect sense for buyers employed in and around Taramani and Perungudi.

As per Anarock data, the average property prices in Perungudi range from Rs. 5,300 to 7,500 per sq. ft. — nearly one-third of the prices in Adyar, and significantly lower than Thiruvanmiyur, where prices are in the Rs. 8,400 to Rs. 12,200 per sq. ft. range. Perungudi’s property prices are also comparable to those in Velachery (Rs. 5,200 – Rs. 8,200 per sq. ft.).

Demand and supply

Alternately, Perumbakkam (close to Shollinganallur ELCOT SEZ) and Thalambur have also upgraded their liveability quotient in recent years, even as property prices maintained status quo. The average property prices in these localities range between Rs. 3,400 and Rs. 5,000 per sq. ft., which is comparable to those in projects located beyond Kelambambakkam — around 10 km away from the employment hub of Siruseri.

Affordable locales

With Porur likely to see the influx of more IT Parks by players like RMZ Corp, K Raheja Corp and ASV, demand for housing in and around the area will gain momentum in the coming quarters. Besides being in close proximity to workplaces, prominent micro markets around this employment hub such as Iyappanthangal and Gerugambakkam offer a compelling buy proposition.

Property prices in the localities range between Rs. 3,600 and Rs. 6,000 per sq. ft. and their social and lifestyle facilities are comparable to those in central Chennaii. With the upcoming Metro rail till Poonamallee, existing world-class hospitals and big box retailers and as F&B outlets in place, these locations are attractive investment options.

New growth areas

properties located closer to the central city are priced above Rs. 8,000 per sq. ft., while those closer to major employment hubs are priced within Rs. 4,000 per sq. ft.

Similarly, Mogappair, Vanagaram, Ambattur and Nolambur — located close to Ambattur Industrial Estate — have also seen steady improvement in social infrastructure and overall liveability. Today, these locations have more than adequate lifestyle amenities and also offer a short commute to employment hubs — at real estate prices almost half of those in Anna Nagar.

To conclude

At this stage, Chennai may not have caught up with Bengaluru in terms of walk-to-work housing options; however, the concept is definitely emerging. Developers have realised its untapped potential and are eyeing affordable areas close to Chennai’s employment hubs to unleash such options.

Most importantly, these locations are seeing steady improvement in their social and civic infrastructure profiles, even as slower price growth in these erstwhile outskirts create a strong value proposition for home buyers today.

உயில் சொத்துக்கும் வாஸ்துவுக்கும் என்ன தொடர்பு?

 ஒரு வீட்டில் தந்தையானவர் நிறைய சொத்துக்களை சம்பாதிக்கிறார், நல்ல வசதி வாய்ப்பாக இருக்கிறார். ஒரு நாள் தனது மகன் செய்யும் தொழிலில் மிக பெரிய சரிவு ஏற்படுகிறது. அன்று வரை அந்த குடும்பத்தில் அப்படி ஒரு இழப்பையே அவர்கள் பார்த்ததில்லை. அன்று முதல் தனது மகன் மீதுள்ள நம்பிக்கையை அவர் இழந்து விடுகிறார். அதற்கேற்றார் போல் அவருடைய மகன் மீண்டும், மீண்டும் செய்யும் அனைத்து தொழிலும் நஷ்டத்தை சந்திக்கிறார். 

 இது போன்ற சு+ழ்நிலையில் தான் சம்பாதித்த சொத்துக்கள் அனைத்தையும் தனது மகன் இழந்து விடுவான் என்று அவர் முடிவெடுத்து தனது மகனின் வாரிசான தன்னுடைய பேரனுக்கு தனது சொத்து முழுவதையும் உயிலாக எழுதி வைத்துவிடுகிறார். பிறகு தனது மகன் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் வறுமையுடனும், கடனுடனும், கஷ்டத்துடனும் தனது வாழ்க்கையை நகர்த்த வேண்டி வந்து விடுகிறது. இந்த பேரன் என்பவன் எப்போது வளர்வது, அவர் எப்போது அந்த சொத்தை விற்பது அல்லது அனுபவிப்பது...?

இது போன்ற சு+ழ்நிலை ஒரு வீட்டில் ஏற்படுவதற்கு அந்த வீட்டு அமைப்பில் அப்படி என்ன தவறுகள்.

1. வடகிழக்கு முழுவதும் மூடிய அமைப்பு

2. வடகிழக்கு படி அமைப்பு

3. வடகிழக்கு சமையலறை ரூ பு+ஜையறை

4. வடகிழக்கு கழிவறைகள்

5. வடகிழக்கு குடோன்

6. தென்மேற்கு சமையலறை

7. தென்மேற்கு வரவேற்பறை

8. தென்மேற்கு பு+ஜையறை

9. பிரம்பஸ்தானத்தில் திறந்தவெளி

10. வடக்கு ஒட்டிய கட்டிட அமைப்புகள்

11. தென்மேற்கு சரிவான பு+மி அமைப்பு

12. தென்மேற்கு வாசல் அமைப்பு

13. தென்மேற்கு தெருகுத்து

 மேலே குறிப்பிட்ட இதுபோல அமைப்புகள் உள்ள வீடுகளில் ஆண்வாரிசுகளுக்கு வருமானம் இருக்காது. இதுபோல சு+ழ்நிலைகளில் தான் இப்படியொரு உயில் சம்பவம் நடக்கும். 

வாஸ்துப்படி வீடு கட்டுவதற்கான அடிப்படை விதிகள் என்னென்ன?

வாஸ்து சாஸ்திரத்தில் சில அடிப்படை விதிமுறைகள் உண்டு. இந்த அடிப்படை விதிமுறைகளே தெரியாமல் பலபேர் உள் அமைப்புகளை மாற்றி அமைத்துக் கொண்டு வறுமை, நோய், கடன், மனக்குழப்பங்கள் போன்றவற்றில் கஷ்டப்படுவதை பார்க்க முடிகிறது. 

வாஸ்து விதி முறைகள் : 

1. நமது வீடு எப்பொழுதுமே சதுரமாகவோ அல்லது செவ்வகமாகவோ மட்டுமே இருக்க வேண்டும். மேல் கூரை எப்பொழுதுமே சமதளமாகவே இருக்க வேண்டும். மற்ற அனைத்து அமைப்புகளும் தவறாகும்.

2. நம்முடைய இடம் மற்றும் வீட்டிற்கு நான்கு திசைகளிலும் காம்பவுண்ட் சுவர் மிகமிக அவசியம். வடக்கு, கிழக்கு சுவர் எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் பொதுசுவர் கூடாது.

3. மேல்நிலை நீர்த்தொட்டி எப்பொழுதுமே தென்மேற்கு பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். கீழ்நிலை நீர்த்தொட்டி என்பது வடகிழக்கு பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். மற்ற எந்த பகுதியிலும் நீர்த்தொட்டி அமைப்பு வருவது மிக தவறு.

4. வடகிழக்கு வரவேற்பரை, தென்மேற்கு மாஸ்டர் பெட்ரூம், தென்கிழக்கு சமையலறை, வடமேற்கு கழிவறை வருவதே சிறப்பை தரும். மிக நல்ல உயர்வையும் தரும்.

5. வீட்டிற்குள் கழிவறை என்பது மேற்கு நடுப்பகுதியில் வரலாம். வீட்டிற்குள் வடமேற்கு பகுதியில் வரலாம். வீட்டிற்கு வெளியேயும், வடமேற்கு பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வர வேண்டும். மற்ற பகுதிகளில் எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் வரக்கூடாது.

6. செப்டிக்டேங்கை பொருத்தவரை வீட்டிற்கு வெளிப்பகுதியில் வடமேற்கு பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். மற்ற வேறு எந்த பகுதிகளிலும் வருவது தவறு.

7. படி அமைப்பு என்பது வடகிழக்கு தவிர மற்ற மூன்று பகுதிகளிலும் வீட்டிற்கு வெளிப்புறத்தில் வருவது சிறப்பு. வீட்டிற்கு படி அமைப்பு என்பது தெற்கு நடுப்பகுதி, மேற்கு நடுப்பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். வேறு எங்கு வந்தாலும் தவறே ஆகும்.

8. தரைதளம், கூரைதளம், காம்பவுண்ட்டுக்குள் உள்பகுதி தரை அமைப்பு இவையனைத்தும் தென்மேற்கு உயரமாகவும், வடகிழக்கு பள்ளமாகவும் மட்டுமே வர வேண்டும்.

9. பு+ஜையறை என்பது ஒவ்வொரு அறையிலும் தென்கிழக்கு சார்ந்தோ, வடமேற்கு சார்ந்தோ மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். மற்ற பகுதிகளில் வரும்போது கெடுதலான பலன்களே கிடைக்கும்.

10. தெருகுத்து, தெருபார்வை, ஜன்னல்கள், வாசல்கள் இவையனைத்தும் உச்சம் பகுதியில் மட்டுமே வரவேண்டும். அப்பொழுதுதான் அந்த வீட்டில் வசிப்பவர்களுக்கு நன்மையாகும்.

10.07.2017 chennai suburban dream

Let’s be honest: Home buying is a tough journey for first-time home buyers. You have to set aside enough for down payment or be in a high-paying job to begin the process of buying your dream home. But let’s also tell you – It’s not entirely impossible to buy property in Chennai. For first-time home buyers, who intend to live and raise a family in their dream home, it is crucial to choose the best place with the best budgets to search for the new home.

So let’s take a look at suburbs in Chennai that are the best options for starter homes.

1.Medavakkam

Medavakkam is well-known for its wide roads and excellent connectivity to Old Mahabalipuram Road, Velachery, Pallavaram and Tambaram. The neighbourhood is in close proximity to several residential areas, IT parks, schools, entertainment facilities and commercial establishments. Crucial factors that have helped fuel demand for homes here includes affordability, higher RoI, adequate amenities and proximity to ECR and OMR. As per realty reports, Medavakkam has witnessed steady appreciation in the past few years.

Average property prices in Medavakkam are:

o   Rs 47lakhs and more for apartments/flats;

o   Rs 1.30 crores and more for row houses;

o   Rs 94 lakhs for villas.

Apartments are the most preferred housing unit in Medavakkam.

2.Madipakkam

In the past few years, Madipakkam has fast risen to the status of favourite location with home buyers. A steadily growing suburb, Madipakkam is adjacent to Velachery and offers adequate modern amenities for families. Crucial factors that have helped fuel demand for homes here includes good connectivity with bus and railway stations, affordability, IT companies in close proximity and good RoI.

In the period 2010-2015, Madipakkam has witnessed an increase in prices from Rs 3,100 per sq ft to almost Rs 5,000 per sq ft.

Average property prices in Madipakkam are:

o   Rs 47 lakhs and more for apartments/flats

o   Rs 71 lakhs and more for villas

Apartments are the most preferred housing unit in Madipakkam.

3.Tambaram

Considered to be older than Chennai, Tambaram is a busy hub of business and commerce. Developing infrastructure has helped increase connectivity via road and rail from Tambaram to the heart of Chennai. Affordability, better RoI, closeness to the airport are some important factors that have influenced Tambaran to become a popular location for home buyers. In the past few years, Tambaram has witnessed an increase in prices from Rs 3,700 to Rs 4,500 per sq ft.

Average property prices in Tambaram are:

o   Rs 38 lakhs and more for apartments/flats

o   Rs 45 lakhs and more for villas

Apartments are the most preferred housing unit in Tambaram.

4.Porur

Porur has been in existence since the Pallavas. Today, it is a steadily developing suburb located 18kms south-west of Chennai city. The three IT SEZs coming up in Porur is expected to make the neighbourhood into an IT hub. Porur has witnessed rapid growth due to affordability, better RoI, adjacent to IT hubs, proximity to MIOT hospital and Ramachandra Medical College and good amenities. In the period 2010-2015, Porur witnessed an increase in apartment prices from Rs 3,100 to Rs 5,400 per sq ft.

Average property prices in Porur are:

o   Rs 62 lakhs and more for apartments/flats

o   Rs 96 lakhs and more for villas

Apartments are the most preferred housing unit property in Porur.

5.Ambattur

Located in northern Chennai, Ambattur is poised to become a popular location for home buyers. Homes in this neighbourhood promise affordability, good RoI, proximity to industrial hubs and good amenities. Ambattur is in close proximity to areas like Anna Nagar and Mogappair. In the period 2010-2015, Ambattur witnessed an increase in apartment prices from Rs 2,800 to Rs 5,100 per sq ft.

Average property prices in Ambattur are:

o   Rs 38 lakhs and more for apartments/flats