Advanced Residential Training Programme on Urban Waterbodies Rejuvenation and Management

Dates: February 22-24, 2022
Course Duration: Three days(24 hours)
Venue: Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), Nimli, Rajasthan
Course Type: Residential

Background

Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) School of Water and Waste (SWW) organised the CSE-NMCG Advanced Residential Training on Urban Waterbodies Rejuvenation and Management from 22-24 February, 2022 at the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI). The training was supported by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under CSE-NMCG capacity building initiative on ‘Making cities in the Ganga basin Water-Sensitive’.

A total of 31 participants attended the training programme, out of which 26 were govt. officials: Executive Officers and engineers from Urban Local Bodies, engineers from Delhi Jal Board, architects, landscape architects and horticulture specialists from Development Authorities, technical experts from NMCG. Entrepreneurs and technical officers working in urban waterbodies rejuvenation in private organisations were also a part of the cohort.

The training began on 21 Feb., 2022 (Day 0) with a tour of the water features at CSE campus followed by a site visit to Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park, Delhi. Dr Yasir Arafat, Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park showcased a nature-based solution to revive Neela Hauz, where natural wetland system is used to treat wastewater entering the lake. Aspects of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity for pollution abatement and lake / wetland management were also discussed during the site visit.

Day 1 began with a room-mapping exercise as an ice-breaking introductory session, where participants also shared their experience and linkages with urban waterbodies in their cities. This was followed by an introductory session by Dr Suresh Kumar Rohilla, Senior Director, CSE where he welcomed the participants, and set the context for the training programme. This was followed by a brief discussion on the issues and challenges in urban waterbodies management and the opportunities for rejuvenation for the same using Mentimeter.

This was followed by a session on the science and concept of urban waterbodies by Dhruv Pasricha, CSE. He talked about CSE’s working definition of urban waterbodies, concepts of eutrophication, and the linkages urban waterbodies have with stormwater management and flood mitigation, groundwater recharge and wastewater management.

Following this, guest speakers Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava and RamveerTanwar (Pond-Man) delivered sessions on their work and experience. Dr Bhargava shared her research and experience on documenting urban waterbodies, and the socio-ecological linkages they have with the urban dwellers. Mr Tanwar shared his experience in reviving ponds in NCR – Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, etc. He shared the role of community participation and using local solutions for pond rejuvenation.
This was followed by a campus tour of the green features of AAETI given by Jyoti Parsad Dadhich, CSE and Shivani, CSE. They showcased the rainwater harvesting system, and the various wastewater management systems in the campus, and how the water balance is maintained at AAETI.

Mr Lokendra Thakkar, EPCO, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh presented on the journey of management plan for the Bhoj Wetland in Bhopal, M.P. He shared the decades-long Bhoj Wetland Management Project, and the various interventions implemented under the project. He also talked about the work undertaken by EPCO in reviving other traditional urban waterbodies in MP. This was followed by a brainstorming exercise on the role of govt./state in urban waterbodies management. Participants discussed they key roles and priorities for the govt. in waterbodies rejuvenation and management.

Day 1 was concluded with a session on Urban Waterbodies Management Plan: Step-by-Step Guide which focussed on the steps involved in preparation of a management plan, and the key aspects of stakeholder review, baseline data, inventory of waterbodies, review and monitoring framework, etc.

Day 2 began with an early morning forest trek in the Aravali hillocks behind the campus, where participants explored the local biodiversity and natural terrain. Technical sessions began with a Group exercise on

Reflections on the learnings from Days 0 and 1. This was followed by a session by S. Vishwanath, Advisor, Biome Environmental Trust on the Success Story of Jakkur Lake, Bengaluru. Mr Vishwanath discussed the role of citizens participation as a fulcrum for sustainability and showcased the strategies of urban lake management employed for Jakkur Lake. He shared the various nuances of citizen engagement and empowerment and the current status of the lake.
This was followed by a group exercise on Continuum Walk where participants were divided into groups representing seven different stakeholders. The objective of the exercise was to expose participants to the various engagement strategies amongst different stakeholder groups and analyse a range of conflicts and alliances which emerge out of a stakeholder review for urban waterbodies management.

Following this, a session and brainstorming exercise on baseline profiling of urban waterbodies was conducted by Dhruv Pasricha, CSE. The session was focussed on the various aspects of baseline data and the template for a brief document. Discussion on the various sources of data was also held during the brainstorming session. This was followed by a session on WHAT NOT TO DO in Urban Waterbodies Management by Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava, where she outlined the key considerations for preparing an urban waterbodies management plan.

The final session was on WSwaterbodies-feb22-24 Strategies for Urban Waterbodies Management where various strategies for catchment area, buffer areas, in-situ interventions, etc. were presented and discussed in detail. Preparation of problem and solution tree for urban waterbodies management, and short, medium and long-term strategies was discussed.

This was followed by a Do-It-Yourself Group Exercise on preparation of Urban Lake Management Plan for Damdama Lake, Haryana. Participants were divided in three groups: People, Profit and Planet and they were provided the baseline data on the lake, its catchment and surrounding areas. The participants presented their lake management plans; the groups were marked on the aspects of Introduction, issues and challenges, stakeholder review, vision, objectives and lake management strategies discussed. The Planet group was adjudged the winner of the DIY exercise.

The training was officially closed with a feedback session, vote of thanks by the CSE team and certificate distribution.

For more details, you may contact:

Training Coordinator

Dhruv Pasricha 
Programme Officer
Urban Water Programme
Mobile: +91-8527447891
Email: dhruv.pasricha@cseindia.org