SGPC deliberating on recycling used water

Amritsar, Punjab: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is contemplating to reuse rain water and water discharged from ablution, langar (community kitchen) in gurdwaras, educational institutions, hospitals and other buildings, managed by it, to recharge underground water table.

This was stated by SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar while reacting to a query posed in light of a communiqué written to him by a GS Bedi, a city resident, to recycle the water.

Makkar said the Shiromani Committee had already installed a water treatment plant in the Golden Temple complex. He said there were around 500 gurdwaras, including 80 gurdwaras, which come under Section 85 and over 400 gurdwaras, which come under Section 87, as their annual income was less than Rs 35 lakh. These historic gurdwaras were spread across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The SGPC, a premiere Sikh organisation, passed an annual budget of Rs 905 crore for the 2014-15 fiscal. An amount of Rs 560.51 crore was allocated in the budget for managing gurdwara affairs of the shrines falling under Section 85. Rain water and water gained from other sources in gurdwaras could be pumped into the water table, said Makkar.

The SGPC chief commented that it was good proposal and was required to be studied by experts for implementation.

Meanwhile, Bedi said he came up with the recycling idea after taking a cue from Gurbani and quoted a hymn from it, “Pawan Guru Pani Pita Mata Dharat Mahat”. He maintained that it was high time to implement the same.

Bedi has designed a methodology for recycling the water. He has also written to the SGPC to recycle the water in gurdwaras used for cleaning feet at the entrance of the shrines, washing utensils and other purposes. He proposed that this water could be channelised underground to help improve the water table.

He said, “For ablution tiny water bodies are set up at the entrance of each gurdwaras where people wash their feet. For this purpose a tap of minimum ½ inch is installed at the entrance, which flows 20 hours a day. This water goes to drain. One ½ inch tap at a normal speed discharges 12 litres of water in a minute. It means that 14,400 litres of water is discharged in 20 hours. In a year about 52.56 lakh litres of water is released.”

It was an approximate calculation of one tap, which if multiplied with all gurdwaras would mean that gallons of water could be saved and utilised for other purposes, added Bedi.

Source: The Tribune