Earth Day 2021 falls on 22nd April. The theme Restore our Earth challenges us to save and renew our natural resources.
Waste no Water
Vellore’s seasons are described as hot, hotter and hottest! Everyone is grateful for heavy rains in the monsoon season but, as soon as summer sets in, the wells run dry. CMC often has to buy water, which is delivered by diesel burning tankers.
This situation would be far worse, if we did not recycle our waste water. We have installed sewage water treatment plants in all of CMC’s six campuses. These filter and purify the water, which is then reused for the chiller plants, laundry prewash, for flushing toilets and in the gardens. We meet 43% of our daily needs from this recycled water. We aren’t able to use it all, but the water we do return to the town is clean and safe.
The water treatment plant in the nearby Kagithapattarai Campus, opened in 2012 and was funded with help from an USAID/ASHA grant. Including reverse osmosis, it is so advanced that the laundry uses the water for its prewashes. Less high tech, the College Campus in Bagayam has a ‘lagoon’ – a settling pond which allows natural processes to cleanse the water.
CMC’s Environmental Engineering Department quietly keeps everything running smoothly. They work round the clock to ensure that water flows around the campuses to wherever it is needed. They keep checking the quality of the water that finally leaves the campus – it has to meet strict government norms. Nirupesh* has been part of this team since 2018. He is passionate about making CMC clean and green, and water recycling is his priority. “CMC has excellent water recycling systems,” he says, “even the little Schell Eye hospital campus has its own mini treatment plant.“
How can you help “Restore our Earth”? Save water whenever possible. Fix dripping taps. Never leave a tap running unattended. Use aerated tap in sinks and tell others to conserve water. Re-use your ‘grey water’ from washing dishes to water your plants.
Learn more about CMC’s efforts to Restore the Earth: the Solid Waste Management System, solar power and other initiatives here.
*name changed
Details and pictures contributed by Environmental Engineering Department
