Completion Report rainwater harvesting and erosion control in the international zone August 2011 day by day.
Some observations and recommendations:
The land in the international zone has thick layers of Manaveli clay, which is very dense and is hard for water to percolate. Most rainwater is running off from this area. In the past bunds has been made, but they were not properly functioning anymore. This kind of soil is quickly eroding and needs constant care and maintenance. During the three weeks of work I noticed a lot of unused and unprotected Auroville land. Besides a lot of Zisiphus, a densely growing creeper with nasty thorns, which will create a thorn thick jungle in the two existing gully’s, I found a lot of plastic, paper, broken bottles. Kalsang , Tibetan Pavilion, is doing a great job in trying to do a weekly cleaning up. There seems a lot of partying going on in the weekend. I would like say that it is time for a security guard in this area in order to prevent drinking and littering. The land in the IZ needs an intense approach in order to sav its rainwater. This can be done by landscaping, bunding, creating ponds and kolams and planting of trees etc. These three weeks is a modest beginning. I would like to invite the stewards of the different zones to participate practically in particular by taking care of the land of their proposed pavilions and looking after the international zone as a whole. This may help to kindle the flame of aspiration for the realization of the pavilions.
Survey of the land between Visitor Centre’s parking, Solitude and International House.
We did only one small percolation pond there. There is a lot of runoff and eroding in this area. We did not do this work, but it is still needed. The bunds made need regularly repair and maintenance. The many village cows in this area are damaging the bunds.
The same night the work was completed we received about 70 mm of rain. The pond near Aurodam Football Field was filled for one third and showed a good percolation capacity. The pond next to Visitor Centre was full and overflowed. In the gully the first two percolation pits were full the others after not. Many bunds collected a lot of water. The ponds in Bharat Nivas, International House had their first modest filling. The percolation pits along the gully from Bharat Nivas to Murthy’s farm collected a lot of water.
I want to thank all the people involved helping with their advice, cooperation, observations and goodwill.
Kireet
August 22
A percolation pond in front of Visitor Centre. First phase. It will catch the water from the road, Visitor Centre and from Aurodam direction. There is enough place to extend the pond if necessary. The soil has been transported in front of the entrance of V.C. as a kind of roundabout.
Some desilting of the entrance of the gully on the other site of the road next to the parking with an overflow opening in the existing holes.
JCB work hours 9.61 Rs 5232.50
August 23
A percolation pond between Visitor Centre and Solitude to catch rainwater flowing from the parking in the direction of Solitude.
First percolation pond in Solitude next to the gully near the entrance of Solitude.
A little pond in the gully between the road and International house, still experimental.
JCB work hours 8.56 Rs 4922,-
August 24
Soil leveling in front of Visitor Centre.
A percolation pond Between Aurodam and Visitor Centre, next to Aurodam football field.
Experimental bund
Completed the little pond in the gully between the road and International house.
JCB work hours 9.40 Rs 5405,-
August 25
Starting big pond near the International House.
JCB work hours 7.97 Rs 4582,75
August 27
Continuing big pond near the International House.
JCB work hours 9.25 Rs 5318.75
Totally spent and paid the first week Rs 30762,-
Second week
August 29
Finished the large pond next to the International House.
One more percolation pit in the gully between V.C. and International House.
The gully between Visitor Centre and finally flowing though Solitude is an important “life line”. Though it is fully filled in with silt, it transports a lot of rainwater and has a green corridor of vegetation of trees and scrubs. Whatever planned in the area, this gully should always be respected. Along and in the gully percolation ponds are made to improve the percolation in this area. Zisiphus, a densely growing creeper with nasty thorns, is creating a thorn thick jungle in this gully. It is growing in and finally on top of neem trees and others, bending and suffocating them. This gully is fully silted in and has no capacity anymore to store water. When torrential rains are battering the land, the water is just running off and cannot be absorbed by the gully. To make some percolation pits in a delicate way here and there will help the percolation. Riverine species are recommended to be planted.
Bunding around Bharat Nivas
JCB work hours 8.49 Rs 4881.75
August 30
Bund near Tibetan Pavilion
One pond in the compound of the Tibetan Pavilion.( After one 20 mm rain this pond nearly filled up). If possible we will enlarge this pond.
One small pond in Bharat Nivas compound.
JCB work hours 9.05 Rs 5203.75
August 31
Bund in front of Tibetan Pavilion
Second small pond in Bharat Nivas compound adjacent Tibetan Pavilion.
This two ponds are on either side of the road from Tibetan. Pavilion into Bharat Nivas compound.
According to the stewards of the Tibetan Pavilion a lot of water is running down over this road into Tibetan pavilion compound. By making these two ponds and a bund on the road we try to avoid this.
Starting of a big pond in Bharat Nivas compound at the beginning of a gully, which leads to Murthy’s Farm.
JCB work hours 8.65 Rs 4973.75
September 1
Continuation of the big pond in Bharat Nivas compound.
JCB work hours 9.02 Rs 5186.50
September 2
Finished the big pond in Bharat Nivas compound.
Bunding near Tibetan Pavilion and International House.
JCB work hours 5.90 Rs 3392.50
September 3
Bunding in front of Tibetan Pavilion next to International House and area of Canadian Zone.
Percolation pit in the gully coming from Bharat Nivas.
JCB work hours 9.04 Rs 5198
Spent and paid the second week Rs 28.836,-
Totally spent and paid the first two weeks Rs 59.598,-
Third week
September 5
Two percolation ponds in the gully coming from Bharat Nivas and going to Murthy’s Farm and bunding, all near the German Zone.
JCB work hours 8.71 Rs 5008.25
September 6
Bunding between Canadian Zone and Murthy’s Farm. Six percolation pits in the gully; the soil was used for a bund along the gully.
JCB work hours 9.1 Rs 5232.50
September 7
Long bund along Murthy’s Farm and along the gully.Some deepening of the gully at the same time.
JCB work hours 9.3 Rs 5347.50
September 8
Bunding along the gully and one percolation pit in the gully. Starting of a big pond at the end of the gully on Murthy’s Farm.
JCB work hours 8.65 Rs 4973.75
September 9
Completing the rainwater tank in Murthy’s Farm
JCB work hours 9.16 Rs5267.-
September 10
Some work in the Canadian Zone and enlarging the pond in the Tibetan Pavilion. When we were nearly finished we discovered that a water pipe was leaking probably already for a long time. This was a lucky discovery. Reinforcing the bund between Bharat Nivas and the TibetanPavilion in order to keep the rainwater inside of B.N.
JCB work hours 8.45 Rs4858.75
Spent and paid the third and last week Rs 30687.75
Total expenditure of this project Rs 90285.75