CSE-CRCWSC Training Programme on Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning

Date: 6^th – 9^th August, 2019

Venue: Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), Nimli, Rajasthan

School of Water & Waste, CSE organized a four-day training programme on ‘Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning (WSUDP)’; in collaboration with Cooperative Research Commission on Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC), Australia from 6thto 9th August, 2019.

The aim of the training was to mainstream decentralised WSUDP through capacity building of practitioners involved in planning and management of urban infrastructure. The programme involved a total of 31 participants, which were a mix of architects, engineers, planners, students and academicians involved in urban water management. The programme design also incorporated sessions on success stories and challenges by experts who have implemented strategies within their context, focusing on water sensitive design.

The training was inaugurated by Dr. Suresh Rohilla, Senior Director, CSE, Jamie Ewert, CRCWSC and Harry Virahsawmy, Alluvium Consulting on 5th Aug at CSE, following a short tour of the water features at CSE office. Expectations of participants was also realised Following the inauguration and a quick round of introduction, the participants and the training team departed for AAETI.

Training sessions began on 6th August, with Dr. Rohilla introducing about CSE, and setting the context by providing an overview on challenge and opportunities in urban water and sanitation management and policy framework. This was followed by a brief introduction about CRCWSC and Alluvium Consulting by Mr. Jamie Ewert and Harry Virahsawmy.

A pre-assessment quiz was conducted by Ms. ShivaliJainer, CSE, which was followed by a detailed session on the overview of Australian approach on WSUDP by Mr. Jamie and Mr. Harry. The session focused on the journey of Australian cities to being a water sensitive city. They also talked about the journey of an urban area towards a water sensitive city, the principles of a water sensitive city and its various benefits like improvement in livability, impact on urban heat island, community engagement, etc.

This was followed by a session on Water and Urban Planning Nexus by Dr. Vinod Gupta, Space Design Associates. He showcased some of the case studies on water sensitive design implemented by him. He also talked about the water usage in various sectors and the concept of embodied water.
SUDS was introduced with the help of a documentary ‘Designs that hold Water’, which illustrated various SUDS techniques like swales, permeable pavements, detention basin, etc. and its application in an urban context.

Taking the concepts forward, Mr. Tanmay Kumar of C2HM Hill introduced the concepts of permeable pavements. His session focused on the design of permeable concrete and its applicability in urban areas. The session also informed participants regarding O&M activities and pros/cons of use of permeable pavements in various urban land uses.The session was supported by a brainstorming exercise and a short quiz. The day was concluded with a tour of the AAETI campus, showcasing the water features: RWH and wastewater management.

Day 2 began with an introduction of WSUDP in Indian cities by Ms. Shivali. She talked about the potential of WSUDP in Indian cities, and the opportunity areas provided in various planning documents, building bye-laws, development control norms, etc.

Having established the need and potential of WSUDP, the following session was on Data Collection for designing water sensitive areas. The session was jointly taken by Ms. Shivali and Mr. BhitushLuthra, CSE. Ms. Shivali detailed out the data required to plan and design for RWH whereas Mr. Bhitush focused on the data required for plan and designing of decentralisedwastewater management. A discussion was also held, comparing centralized and decentralised water systems, with their associated pros and cons. The session was concluded with a group exercise where the participants were divided in four groups and allocated different land uses: Residence, Resort, School and Group Housing. They were required to prepare a data checklist and make a presentation.

This was followed by a session on Designing Water Sensitive Areas, jointly taken by Ms. Shivali and Mr. Bhitush. The session was focused on design considerations for RWH and the design rules of decentralised wastewater management, with focus on DWWTs as a technology. In addition to design principles, the trainers also provided various thumb rules for designing, and how the various components of water sensitive features can blend within the landscape and aesthetics of urban built form.

The day was concluded with a session on Water Sensitive Index Tool by Mr. Jamie and Mr. Harry. They provided with the background of how the index was developed, the scale of application and the indicators used for scoring. A detailed discussion was held regarding the data collection process for scoring and how the index has performed in Australia, in terms of aiding decision-making in Perth. The session was concluded with a mock exercise on how to use the tool, wherein the AAETI campus was considered as a city and the scoring was done by all participants and trainers.

Taking the planning and designing forward, Day 3 started with a session on Operation, Maintenance and Feasibility of WSUDP interventions, conducted by Mr. Dhruv Pasricha, CSE The session focused on the importance of O&M for the long term sustainability of WSUDP interventions. With a focus on RWH and DWWTs, Mr. Dhruv threw light on the various O&M activities which are to be done in order for a smooth functioning of the systems. Key takeaways included the scheduling of various activities and skills required to maintain the system. The session was supported by a brainstorming exercise. Mr. Harry Virahsawmy also shared his experience in the O&M of SUDS features in Melbourne, Australia. A discussion was also held on obstacles in scaling up WSUDP features at a city scale, and roles of responsibilities of various state actors.

This was followed by a session on Water Sensitive Urban Design strategies employed at IIT-Jodhpur campus, conducted by Mr. Mayank Mishra, SHiFt. He talked about the master planning approach of the IIT-Jodhpur campus, and how water sensitive features were planned and designed in an arid climate. The campus masterplan also showcased the use of site geography as opportunities for design. The session was concluded with a group exercise on Swale Design. The participants were divided in four groups and each group was given a particular swale of the IIT Jodhpur campus for designing. The participants were required to prepare concepts and preliminary designs and make a presentation.

The rest of the day was allocated for the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) exercise Planning and Designing at three different scales. Participants were divided in four groups, two groups were given the case of a greenfield city of Amravati, Andhra Pradesh and the remaining two groups were given the case of an existing sub-city Dwarka, New Delhi. The participants were required to frame WSUDP strategies at the building/plot scale, neighbourhood scale and city scale. Datasets provided included briefs of the cities, basic demography, land use and land cover, hydro-meteorological data, etc. The participants worked in groups throughout the remaining day.

Day 4 began with a session on WSUDP in an Indian City: A case of Mednipur by Dr. Somnath Sen, IIT Kharagpur. Dr. Sen shared his research and experience with the participants on WSUD solutions in residential clusters in Mednipur and other areas in Kolkata. He also engaged in a discussion on implementation of WSUD features in other cities in India, and how these projects can be scaled up.

This was followed by the presentations by participants on the DIY exercise. The participants were provided 10 minutes to present, and five minutes for Q&As. The presentations were appreciated by the trainers, and it was observed that a perspective for WSUDP was developing in the participants. The training was concluded with feedback session by Dr. Rohilla, Mr. Jamie and Mr. Harry, on how the learnings can be taken forward and other suggestions.

For more information on the training programme kindly contact:

ShivaliJainer
Programme Manager, Water Programme
+91-11-40616000 (Ext: 244)
Email: shivali@cseindia.org

Dhruv Pasricha
Sr. Research Associate, Water Programme
+91-11-40616000 (Ext: 322)
Email: dhruv.pasricha@cseindia.org

Dr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla
Senior Director & Academic Director, (School of Water and Waste, Anil Agarwa l Environment Training Institute – AAETI).
Email: srohilla@cseindia.org