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Aqua Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization working on key aspects of Water, Environment & Humanity. The ever balanced, ever harmonized cycles & arrangements of nature have been greatly challenged and disturbed by humans in last century, which inturn pose a threat to their own survival. The organization is working to reverse these damages and work towards a sustainable living, in oneness with fellow humans, other living beings, plants and nature. The ultimate goal of the organization is to ensure humanity’s long term future.

The activities of Aqua Foundation include knowledge creation, information dissemination, research and education. The organization works through a diverse range of tools and techniques including, but not limited to, conferences, seminars, training programs, on-line learning, capacity building, community projects, school activities etc., with prime focus on Humanity and Sustainability.

Aqua Foundation is organizing international conference 'World Aqua Congress' since year 2007. The conference aims to bring various stakeholders i.e. policy makers, researchers, academicians, industry, NGOs etc., on a common platform for meaningful discussions & deliberations and implementation & execution. ‘Aqua Excellence Awards' are also key highlight of the two days international conference. These awards are given to promote, encourage & recognise innovations and contributions in the field of environment & humanity.

In the face of mounting water and environmental crisis in the world, various groups have begun a campaign to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Aqua Foundation, a non-governmental organization, has taken multiple initiatives over the years, to deal with these issues holistically, rather than applying quick-fix solutions to individual aspects.

Aqua Foundation's philosophy relies on an inclusive understanding of the interconnections between all the elements of an ecosystem: plants, animals, people, and climate. Organization also believes that efforts are not yielding desirable results due to the fact that the building blocks of the universe i.e. five elements (Panch Tatwa- Water, Earth, Energy/ Fire, Air and Space) are being dealt separately, completely in isolation and against the very fundamental nature of these elements i.e. interdependence and interconnectedness. This is where we have a lot to learn from traditional practices wherein our ancestors mastered the art of living in harmony with nature, while preserving a perfect balance between the five elements (Panch-Mahabhutas).

For long Traditional Wisdom has been seen as opposite of Modern Science. The organization is tirelessly working to change this notion and incorporate useful elements of traditional conservation practices as well as modern science and technology, to arrive at a comprehensive solution to present day's problems and future challenges.

Previous conferences organized by Aqua Foundation initiated a useful dialogue on these aspects. VII World Aqua Congress (2013) was conducted with theme of 'Balancing Panch-Tatwa (Five Elements) Strategically Towards Sustainability' (Achieving sustainability will enable the Earth to continue supporting all forms of life) followed up by VIII World Aqua Congress (2014) on 'Balancing Development and Environment' (Economic Growth with Environmental Sustainability).

Various experiments of reviving traditional practices have already yielded desirable results in many parts of the country. Realizing the need to unify diverse efforts being put forward by various individuals and organizations, Aqua Foundation organized IX World Aqua Congress on the topic of “Reviving Traditional Water & Environment Conservation Techniques”.

Shri Anupam MishraEnvironmentalist, New Delhi

About Reviving Traditional Water & EnvironmentConservation Techniques

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About Aqua Foundation

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VIII WAC 2014' HIGHLIGHTSThemes & TopicsThis was the first ever conference which aimed at creating a collection of traditional conservation techniques, and hence themes listed below were only to serve as broad discussion topics. The conference aimed to invite contributions from scientists, researchers and practitioners from a diverse background i.e. Water, Earth Sciences (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry etc.), Agriculture, Energy (Hydro, Thermal, Nuclear, Solar and other unconventional), enabling a wholesome integrated discussion on traditional practices for sustainability.

Ø Water Conservation & Management Techniques & Practices

Ø River Rejuvenation & Surface Water Management

Ø Rain Water Harvesting & Ground Water Recharge Techniques & Practices

Ø Agriculture & Irrigation Techniques & Practices

Ø Water Quality & Treatment Techniques & Practices

Ø Water Use Efficiency Improvement Techniques & Practices

Ø Ground Water Exploration, Development & Management

Ø Environmental Conservation Techniques & Practices

Ø Traditional Wisdom to Counter Climate Change Impacts

Ø Preserving Hydrological Cycle

Ü Reviving Traditional Water & Environment Conservation Techniques

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VIII WAC 2014' HIGHLIGHTS Speakers

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Smt. Indu GuptaSecretary & Founder

Paryavaran Shiksha Prasar SamitiUttar Pradesh

Prof. K. G. MoodleyResearch Prof, Chemistry Dept.

Durban University of TechnologyDurban

Dr. Pratibha SharmaPrincipal Scientist and Professor

Division of Plant PathologyI.A. R.I, New Delhi

Er. R.K. BishnoiDirector

Bishnoi Buildtech Pvt. LtdNew Delhi

Prof. P. S. DattaEx-Project Director NRL

IARI, New Delhi

Mr. Sunil SinghalPresident

Absolute Water, New Delhi

Acharya Vivek MuniConvenor

Vishwa Ahimsa Samiti Delhi

Mr. Gauranga DasPresident

Govardhan Eco VillageMaharashtra

Mr. Ranjan PandaClimate Change Crusader

Odisha

Dr. Subhash C. SinghScientist – C, CGWB

Bhopal

Mr. Onkar TiwariDirector

Ashwath Infratech Pvt. Ltd.New Delhi

Mr. Vipin ThapiyalManager – CSR, T.H.D.C.I.L

Rishikesh

Cdr. R. K. SharmaConsultant, B4S Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

New Delhi

Mr. Bharat KakadeSr. Vice President, BAIF

Pune

Ms. Pallavi Deshpande

Shri jagdamba SamitiUttarakhand

Manager, CSR

Dr. Muna AliHead – CSR

PepsiCo India, Gurgaon

Mr. Vijaypal BaghelEnvironmentalist- Green Man

Ghaziabad

Dr. Suresh Prasad YadavGovt. Polytechnic, Bhaga

Govt. of Jharkhand

Mr. Aditya SarkarP.H.D. Research ScholarDepartment of Geology

Delhi University

Mr. Prabhash GokarnHead (Engineering Projects & Town)

Ferro Alloys & Mineral Division,Tata Steel Limited, Odisha

Prof. Abhik GuptaAssam University, Silchar

Assam

Mr. N.C. JainDirector Technical, NWDA

New Delhi

Dr. N. G. ShrivastavaAdditional General Manager, Pollution

Control Research Institute, B.H.E.L.Haridwar

Dr. Sujana DharTechnical Specialist –

Flood Modeling, RMSINoida

Dr. D. K. ChadhaFormer Chairman

Central Ground Water AuthorityNew Delhi

Mr. Vivek P. KapadiaChief Engineer

Water Resources DepartmentGovt. of Gujarat

Sushri Uma BhartiHon’ble Minister for Water

Resources, River Developmentand Ganga Rejuvenation

Govt. of India

Shri Anupam MishraGandhi Peace Foundation

Environment Cell, New Delhi

Mr. Pawan KakkarDirector, Jugapro

New Delhi

Mr. Gary TipperHead, Business Development

SkyTem, Denmark

Er. R.K KhannaFormer Chief Engineer

Central Water CommissionNew Delhi

Dr. Vaishakh PalsodkarConsultant

Alternative DevelopmentPune

The awardees of Aqua Excellence Awards for year 2015:

The “AF's Excellence Award” are the highest award given by Aqua Foundation to its members & stakeholders in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of Nature. Aqua Foundation honours, in each World Aqua Congress, individual / nominees of corporate members who have made a mark in their respective fields of expertise or have made a significant contribution towards the Water & Environment Conservation Techniques.

Aqua Foundation's Excellence Awards 2015

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Sushri Uma BhartiHon’ble Minister for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

Govt. of India

Shri Anupam MishraLife Time Achievement

Govardhan Eco VillageOutstanding Contribution Towards

Cause of Sustainability (Social Sector)

Ryan International SchoolSec-40, Gurgaon

Holistic Development ofAngels of Humanity

Star India Pvt. Ltd.Protection of the Quality and

Supply of Freshwater Resources

Bougainvilla Hermitage Pvt. Ltd.Green Housing

MECON LIMITEDOutstanding Contribution Towards

Cause of Sustainability (Public Sector)

Gram Vikash Navyuvak Mandal Laporiya

Natural Resource Management UsingTraditional Wisdom

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (AFS)Promoting Sustainable

Agriculture

Sardar Patel Vidya NiketanHolistic Development of

Angels of Humanity

Er. K. B. BiswasProfessional Excellence

(Individual)

Dr. Gopal DhawanProfessional Excellence (Individual)

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Glimpses 2015

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1. Traditional water conservation structures like kuains, kunds, tanks, baoris, talaabs – have been the lifelines of societies. They have withstood the test of time and change to become symbolic of the philosophy that not only links the past to the present but also harbours the potential to make the future like the past. Their conservation, restoration and use needs to become an important part of water policy.

2. Aquifers present best option to store water. Traditional systems were founded around the concept of saving and storing each rain drop, to be used in dry season. Most of traditional water system were based on surface water and shallow groundwater as deep drilling technology was not available at that time. Due to drilling based water exploration and multi-fold increase in consumption, most of the shallow/phreatic aquifer have been over-exploited which resulted in non functioning of traditional system as well as reduced discharge/base flow to rivers. Only mega recharge to groundwater and conservation projects can revive the traditional water system as well as help in rejuvenation of Rivers. Understanding the aquifers is of paramount importance in this direction, and hence nation wide aquifer mapping should be carried out, resulting in development of comprehensive ground water models. Further planning of recharge and exploration should be strictly based on such advanced models. Latest technologies like airborne/ heliborne geophysics can aid in rapid mapping of aquifer systems.

3. Deteriorating conditions and maintenance of TWHS (Traditional Water Harvesting Structures) are mostly due to: (a) failure to take proper measures, and to manage vulnerability by ad hoc approaches; and (b) Lack of honesty, transparency, trust, patience, tolerance, and coordination among public, departments, regulators, etc.. Since, the TWHS impacts reported are mainly based on qualitative analysis, secondary information collected from beneficiaries; for revival of TWHS and in order to make TWH relevant and meaningful to present, justice to TWHS would be done if the following recommendations are strictly implemented:

a. Introspect Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats, and Opportunities of TWHS. When, Where, Why, & How things started going wrong? Why could the TWHS deteriorating trends not be changed/ reversed/ delayed?

b. Improve maintenance of TWHS taking proper measures, and managing vulnerability by transparency, honesty, trust, patience, tolerance, and coordination among departments, regulators, public, etc.. Address institutional, organizational and legal problems.

c. Regulate encroachments on water bodies, and local power relations among different social groups, which causes interrupted water flows to TWHS. Check polarization of people on social and political fronts with narrow mindset, and parochial self-interest.

d. Assess the exact causes of reduction in Storage capacity and Percolation rates of tanks, percolation ponds, etc. Reduction in rates may be due to both siltation and sludge deposition from wastes surreptitiously disposed in some water bodies.

e. Have in-depth understanding of the adverse impacts when GW table fall/rise rate exceeds ecosystem adaptability.

f. Pay attention adequately for careful positioning of TWHS (including Johads, Tanks, Check dams). Assess the challenge in identifying locations having surface and subsurface conditions amenable to recharge.

g. Remap & Analyze: Geology, topography, land contours, Hydrologic System, streams & rivers flows, C-B, and risks, by ancient, local and organized knowledge of S&T.

h. Disseminate: Information to all stakeholders (incl. politicians, policy-makers, public, media persons,) to promote ethical, cultural, & social values, to change mindsets.

i. Educate: All for harmony by trust, share of responsibility, knowledge, transparency, interests, etc… to enhance efficiency, and efforts by competent, capable transparent institutions, restricting involvement of unscrupulous corrupt practices, politically or economically greed driven, for self-interests, private gain before public welfare.

j. Control Diversion of attention by mass media with half-baked information, by purposeful propaganda, obfuscation and generic opinions by opinion-makers, environmentalists, activists, NGOs, etc.. Unfortunately, 'society' mostly is getting misguided by information that floods through newspaper, media etc., with some half-baked concern, as if, only some activists environmentalists have development concern.

k. Stop Advertisements with huge payment using role models for public (some actor or actress of the time or cricketer or celebrity or someone alike them) even if they have no or limited knowledge on water related issues.

l. Raise: Public awareness on 'Geo-ethics', complementarity and interconnection of Natural System and Human System. Give opportunity and Encouragement to Geoscientists to play important role to project properly much of the good work done and the achievements of the water resources professionals, who have been silently working for long for the betterment of the society, and make believable to the society.

4. It has been found that the Rain Water recharge wells/ bore shafts are either difficult to maintain or have been found to be severely inadequate in capacity and thus there is substantial volume of storm water runoff on the roads. We recommend construction of under drained swales along the roads, with construction waste in the rural and semi urban areas, thus the low lying villages and unplanned colonies can have twin benefits, one the construction waste will not be dumped in natural storm water evacuation channels, two, some seepage zones can be created to offer buffer zones when storm waters reach their periphery. In the city scape, we recommend use of infiltration basins under bio swales that will require less surface area but will create the detention capacity underground. The shortfall in soak basins, therefore, can be augmented by creating Infiltration basins along the road using bio-swales, gravel pathways, porous payments etc.

5. Rivers are lifeline of any civilization. Regulatory mechanism should operate more efficiently to stop pollutants entering the river waters. Religious and spiritual groups should be used to influence people to desist them from dumping waste in rivers.

6. A help-line should be setup enabling people report incidents of river pollution, water wastage, environment degradation and a swift action must be ensured against offenders.

Recommendations of IX World Aqua Congress

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VIII WAC 2014' HIGHLIGHTSMessages

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Very PoorPoorGoodVery GoodExcellent

3.5%

1%

95.5%

6.5%

1%

92.5%

2.5%

1.5%

96%

1.5%

98.5%

Information/Communication Venue and Arrangements

Overall Hospitality of OrganizersTechnical Papers and Sessions Quality

Feedback

Sponsors & Supporters

Ministry of Urban DevelopmentGovernment of India

Parsan OverseasPvt. Ltd.

Central WaterCommission

National Bank For Agricultureand Rural Development

The Water NetworkThe Water Network

Eco-Business

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VIII WAC 2014' HIGHLIGHTS

Previous conferences addressed the issues of Water Resources Availability, Management & Quality (2007), Global Climate Change & Water Resources (2008), Enhancing Water use Efficiency (2009), Emerging technologies in the water Sector-Present Status & Need for the future (2010), Adaptive & Integrated Water Management (2011), Water : Vision 2050 (2012), Balancing Panch-Tatwa (Five Elements) Strategically Towards Sustainability (2013) and Balancing Development and Environment-Economic Growth with Environmental Sustainability (2014).

Previous World Aqua Congress - Themes & Topics

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‘‘If you cannot love each other,you cannot achieve your goal’’

Aqua FoundationRegistered Office Address:

707-Eros Apartments, 56-Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019

Correspondence Office Address:E-166, Second Floor, Kalkaji, New Delhi – 110019Telefax: +91-11-41318030, Ph: +91-9818568825

Website: www.aquafoundation.in, www.worldaquacongress.orgE-mail: info@aquafoundation.in, wac@worldaquacongress.org