Tag: groundwater depletion

Business Standard

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Water scarcity has become a global concern, with incidents such as Day Zero in Cape Town (2018) serving as stark reminders of the urgency of this issue. Transporting drinkable water to regions affected by natural disasters, especially equatorial areas during summer, remains a challenge. India faces its own water crisis, with cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Shimla, and Chennai projected to exhaust groundwater reserves by 2030, as highlighted in a report by Niti Aayog.

In April this year, water scarcity triggered mass migration in rural Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district. Moreover, the groundwater contribution to the Ganga River is expected to decrease over the next three decades, potentially impacting 115 million people in the Ganga basin, according to IIT Kharagpur.

Such issues require innovative solutions. One promising approach is the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology developed by AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd, under the leadership of Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO.

How AKVO Tackles Water Scarcity

AKVO AWGs generate pure drinking water by extracting and purifying humidity from the air. These machines come in various sizes, catering to both community and industrial needs:

  • Capacity: Machines produce between 100 and 10,000 liters per day.
  • Cost: AKVO water costs INR 1.75–2.00 per liter, significantly cheaper than market rates (INR 15–20 per liter).

Impactful Deployments of AKVO AWG Machines

  1. Rural Communities:
    • A 1000-liter machine was installed in Hardua Mangarh, Madhya Pradesh, addressing the water needs of a village that relied on a 200-year-old well.
  2. Industrial Use:
    • Six machines have been installed at the IOCL refinery in Haldia, decentralizing water availability across its 300-acre area.
  3. Hydroponics:
    • Customizable machines support water demands for hydroponic farming, meeting specific mineral and volume requirements.
  4. Global Reach:
    • AKVO AWG machines gained international recognition at the International Water Summit (2018 & 2019) in Abu Dhabi and have been installed by Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) in the Middle East.

A Green, Cost-Efficient Solution for the Future

AKVO AWG machines operate without water wastage and consume just one unit of electricity per hour. Unlike desalination, which damages marine ecosystems, AKVO offers an eco-friendly alternative, making it ideal for tropical and coastal regions.

“Our vision is a future where no one suffers from water scarcity,” says Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO. “We aim to deliver sustainable, cost-effective solutions that protect water resources while meeting the needs of diverse communities.”

Explore how AKVO AWGs are transforming water access across India and beyond. Discover the full original article here.

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Kolkata-based cleantech company AKVO designs and manufactures a range of atmospheric water generators (AWG) that require no water source to produce purified drinking water from the atmosphere. Water made using AWG technology from AKVO costs only Rs 1.75 to Rs 2 per litre.

Water scarcity reports have become the norm across the globe. And our country has not managed to avert the crisis. According to a 2018 WaterAid report, over 12 percent of India’s population is already living the ‘Day Zero’ scenario, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water management system, and years of deficient rains.

Innovation is the need of the hour and a Kolkata-based company is doing just that by producing pure drinking water out of air.

Sounds like magic? Well, it is science, says AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems, which claims to be the first player in India to manufacture atmospheric water generators indigenously.

Atmospheric water generators (AWG) are machines that can produce water from air. They work on electricity and use the simple process of condensation and filtration to produce fresh and clean water, without requiring any external source of water.

Using the AWG technology, the Kolkata-based company replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating a dew point, which allows it to make water continuously, even in low humidity conditions.

The brainchild of Kolkata based second-generation entrepreneur, Navkaran Singh Bagga, who started this venture in 2017, AKVO works on a simple plug and play method and consumes one unit of electricity to run for an hour.

The brainchild of Kolkata based second-generation entrepreneur, Navkaran Singh Bagga, who started this venture in 2017, AKVO works on a simple plug and play method and consumes one unit of electricity to run for an hour. 

Says CEO Navkaran,

“The water resources in the world are fast depleting, and it is time to make the world water positive and renew our groundwater sources. One of the solutions to this is AWG. By generating your own water, you reduce the consumption of groundwater and help in renewing and replenishing our groundwater resources. These factors made me reflect and lead my team in manufacturing AKVO, which is future-ready.”

Navkaaran points out that while marketable water is available from Rs 15 to Rs 20 per litre and always has the cleanliness suspicion tag attached with it, water made using the AWG technology from AKVO costs only Rs 1.75 to Rs 2 per litre.

“AKVO gives you complete water independence without having to be bound to pipelines and water sources. Ours is India’s most cost effective machine that uses the least amount of power to generate the most amount of water, with zero environmental impact,” the Founder adds.

How AWG works

AKVO currently has five versions of the machine available: 36K which produces 100 litres/day, 55K, which produces 150 litres/day, 110K, which produces 300 litres/day, 180K, which produces 500 litres/day, and 365K that produces 1,000 litres/day. Navkaran says the company also customises the machine according to the user’s need. 

AKVO’s machine depends on the humidity and temperature in the geographical location it is installed in. It is designed to run at temperatures ranging from 10-degree Celsius to 60-degree Celsius with humidity factor of 30-80 percent, making it a viable model to deploy in coastal and hilly areas, especially in tropical countries that are rich in atmospheric moisture content. 

“We will be launching a household model in 2020 and it will be a certain game changer. We are also working on a table-top model that can replace bottled water at hotel rooms, reducing the plastic usage and also saving the environment,” says Navkaran.

“Our current machines can also be used for domestic purpose but since the capacity range starts from 100 litres per day, we are coming up with a more compact model which can produce 25 litres per day and would suit an average household,” Navkaran adds.

AKVO is using heat exchange and refrigeration technology to generate water from air. 

The team

AKVO consists of a team of 25 members, nine of which work in production, research, and prototyping. 

AKVO’s global sales and marketing head Pradeep Verma is a veteran of the water industry having worked with Eureka Forbes and then Marmon Holdings, Inc, which is a Berkshire Hathaway company. Verma has over two decades of experience in sales and business development having exposure to Indian and other South Asian markets across industries.

AKVO Team

AKVO Team

Founder Navkaran has an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK and also holds an MBA Degree from The SP Jain Institute of Management Research. 

He is also the Director at Trishan Metals Pvt Ltd which is a joint venture with IFB Industries Ltd for manufacturing specialised Automotive Grade Steel. Navkaran has also been the Chairman of ALFA Network, the Youth Forum of Assocham, which has a clear focus on promoting entrepreneurship in India. He was also the Vice-Chairman of the CII-Yi Kolkata Chapter for the year 2016.

The target audience

Navkaran says that AKVO’s target audience will comprise anyone who needs fresh pure drinking water or areas that are facing water crisis due to depleting natural resources or people looking for an environmentally safe and renewable source. 

AKVO has been successful in making its presence felt across the globe and in India. “We have a significant number of customers from all industries and I’m proud to say that at least 5,000 people consume water from our machines daily,” says Navkaran.

A dusty hamlet in Damoh region of Madhya Pradesh, with a population of around 1,500, faced acute water scarcity with no proper water system. The Public Health and Environment Department of Madhya Pradesh approached AKVO to come up with a solution. Now, after 10 months after the installation of the AKVO 365K machine unit in Hardua, villagers receive about 1,000 litres of fresh drinking water every day from air.

Over 50 machines have been installed in Chennai—which faced a severe water crisis last year—across schools, residential complexes, private institutions, etc. The company is also in talks with other big MNCs in Chennai to install the machine at its offices. 

Over 44 AKVO machines have been installed at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium, with an order for over 350 more. 

To strengthen their proposition in the Middle East, AKVO has also installed its new 300 litre machine at SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority). DP World, a logistics company in Dubai, has installed its first machine in its Dubai port.

NTPC, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Haldia, and other government bodies are working with AKVO machines to provide clean drinking water.

Six machines have been installed in Lakshadweep island as well in association with the local government. 

The present outlook and future

The  Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018 states that by 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual six percent loss in the country’s GDP.

“For a product like AKVO, the future is like a treasure box as there are multiple channels through which this product can serve humanity as a whole. The water produced from AKVO AWGs agree very well with the standards set by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The tests were also agreeable with the standards set by ISO 10500, 2012, and has been marked safe for drinking,” Navkaran explains. 

AKVO has grown 3X in the last three years and is looking at continuing the growth momentum for FY20-21 as well.

Presently, AKVO has sold over 200 machines worldwide. It is bootstrapped so far but is planning on raising funds soon as the firm is currently in talks with a few investors.

While speaking about the revenue, Navkaran adds, “Currently, we’re at a top line of a little over Rs 2 crore and with an expanding distribution network and new markets in the Gulf, we expects to hit our target of Rs 12 crore in the coming financial year.”

There are a few other players in the industry like Watermaker, but Navkaran claims that AKVO is the largest AWG manufacturer in India. “We’re the lowest in power consumption per litre of water generation globally,” he adds.

According to the CWMI report, 21 major cities (Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and others) are in the danger of reaching zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The country clearly needs immediate and long-term solution like AKVO’s AWG to effectively address the water scarcity issue.

(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)

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Chennai water crisis: A wake-up call for Indian cities

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Dried-out taps, shutting down of schools, restaurants and hotels running out of business, police protection for protecting water resources, water being transported by train and tankers are not isolated events taking place in faraway places but are increasingly taking place almost every year in our neighbourhoods.

When situations like these strike an affluent and mega city, as it did in 2017-18 in Cape Town, they made headlines, bringing attention to the unfolding urban water crisis globally. Post Cape Town, multiple articles/reports pointed out the impending and existing water crisis for many Indian cities.

This year, it was Chennai that ran out of water.

The Chennai metropolitan area (CMA) — consisting of Chennai city, with a population of 4.9 million, and its adjoining areas — has an estimated population of 8.6 million and is the fourth-largest urban conglomerate in India.

Chennai was in the news four years ago for an entirely opposite reason but an equally serious situation — the unprecedented floods of December 2015, that drowned the city for many days, devastating lives and impacting businesses.

This year, the reservoirs that overflowed during the 2015-16 floods, dried out. Of Chennai’s total requirement of 830 MLD (million litres a day) water, the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board(CMWSSB) was able to supply only about 525 MLD during the worst days of the crisis.

Empty reservoirs

The city of Chennai has four major reservoirs/lakes: Poondi, Cholavaram, Redhills and Chembarambakkam. These supply about 200 MLD of water. They fill up at the end of the Northeast monsoon (October-November) and supply water till the next monsoon season.

Post the 2015-16 season, the monsoon has been in deficit for two out of three years, with last year’s monsoon deficit being ~ 40 per cent. Due to a deficit monsoon this year, the reservoirs did not get filled up, bringing their combined storage to almost zero.

On June 30, 2019, the combined storage stood at just 18 million cubic feet (mcft) (0.1 per cent of total storage of 11,257 mcft). Last year, on the same day, the storage was 2,245 mcft. With a couple of months still left to go before rainfall, Chennai is in for a hard time in the coming months.

Chennai’s vanishing groundwater

Groundwater is extracted extensively, both within and outside Chennai city limits, to meet the city’s water demands. The CMWSSB and private tanker suppliers extract groundwater from rural areas on the outskirts of Chennai and transport it via tankers.

Within city limits, groundwater extraction takes place from about 0.42 million private groundwater wells, with 66 per cent of households having their own private wells. The result is overexploitation, with the city extracting almost twice the annual recharge.

Limited recharge due to the deficit monsoon and long-term indiscriminate groundwater extraction is making water tables fall rapidly, leading to wells drying up, deteriorating water quality and the risk of saline sea water ingress requiring well deepening or the search for wells further away from the city.

Dependence on tankers

Tankers supplying groundwater from outside the city limits are Chennai’s lifeline. At the height of the crisis, there were about 700-900 CMSSWB tankers making 9,700 trips, two-three times the usual trips to compensate for loss of supply from reservoirs, supplying about ~ 100 MLD of water and 4,500-5,000 private tankers, making five-six trips daily, supplying ~ 200 MLD.

However, groundwater overexploitation was made worse by limited recharge this year. It led to conflicts and tensions brewing up in and around the surrounding urban-rural areas, where many people were against indiscriminate groundwater mining in their area, forcing tankers to travel longer distances.

Inequity of impacts

With most of the city’s water supply dependent on water tankers, the impact of the water crisis this year was disproportionately felt by the poor. A 9,000-litre tanker from CMWSSB cost Rs 700-Rs 800, whereas private companies charged Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000.

With demand outstripping supply, the waiting period for tankers from CMSSWB stood at 15-25 days. High prices and low availability of public tankers made water access unaffordable for the people living in slums and lower income societies. The cost of buying water for many came to almost half of their monthly income.

Bad planning or limit of resilience?

After the drought of 2000, Chennai made it mandatory for buildings to have rainwater harvesting systems (RWH) installed. Rainwater harvesting did  initially help to increase recharge and improving water tables.

However, there are concerns that over the years, poor implementation and lack of maintenance had led to many of these RWH systems becoming dysfunctional. With the water crisis on its doorstep now, city utilities have started a drive to check the efficiency of rainwater harvesting and install more.

RWH alone can do little when unregulated encroachments, illegal construction and indiscriminate pumping is pushing the city to limits. Due to rapid urbanisation and encroachment, the number of water bodies in Chennai have reduced to 28 (2017) from 60 (1893) and area under these water bodies has shrunk from 12.6 sq km to just 3.2 sq km, significantly affecting the city’s capacity to recharge depleted groundwater.

Chennai currently has two desalination plants supplying 200 MLD. After the current crisis, work on another desalination plant has been initiated that would supply 150 MLD at a cost of 1,259 crore by 2021, with a plan to add another of 400 MLD capacity.

Would these heavy investments save the city? Many believe that in a city with more than 1,000 mm rainfall, expensive desalination plants consuming lots of energy with negative environmental externalities might not be the best answer.

The financial sustainability of desalination plants is also in question, with utilities spending Rs 45-50 per 1,000 litre to produce potable water but charging Rs 3-5 from consumers.

Way forward

The 2019 crisis is a wake-up call for Chennai and other cities in India. With cities being the powerhouse of the economy, much more is required to make them sustainable and livable.

Integrated urban water management is the need of the hour, with no single effort or intervention being able to achieve long-term resilience. Within city limits, efforts should be put into rejuvenating its existing and lost water bodies, properly installing and managing rainwater harvesting systems and increasing the reuse of treated water.

With much of Chennai’s sources of water lying outside city limits, efforts need to be put in place to secure reservoir catchments, recharge groundwater and build partnerships with farmers and stakeholders. Otherwise, conflicts over water sources would keep increasing.

Time is running out and there is an urgent need to act now on conserving water.

Source: downtoearth.org.in
Sujith Sourab Guntoju is an intern, while Mohammad Faiz Alam and Alok Sikka are researchers at the International Water Management Institute, New Delhi. This column is a personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Down To Earth

India’s Water Crisis Explained

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In India, the rate at which groundwater supplies are depleting is shocking. More groundwater is being consumed than the natural processes that replenish them.  It’s not surprising, given the population of the country, that we are the largest users of ground water in the world, just behind China. The 2030 Water Resources Group, made up of private companies, argues that the “water gap” (between insufficient supply and excess demand) in Asia will only close once countries limit the water-intensity of their economies. Continue reading “India’s Water Crisis Explained”

Fresh water concerns: 2017

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“We’re going to run out of water much much earlier than we’ll run out of oil,” warned Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Nestlé, at the OECD Forum in May 2012. Continue reading “Fresh water concerns: 2017”

India Education Diary

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AKVO presents India’s most cost efficient and indigenously manufactured Atmospheric Water Generator

Bhubaneswar: Currently India holds the undesirable title of having the highest number of rural people without access to clean water. Although being home to nearly a sixth of the world’s population, India only gets 4% of the Earth’s fresh water. Already more than half of Asia’s third-biggest economy faces high water stress. By 2030, demand is expected to outstrip supply by around 50%. With scientists and geologists trying to find avenues to arrest the attrition of groundwater and climate change, it is time our Country gets its first indigenously manufactured Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology. Designed by Kolkata, AKVO, a unit of Trishan Exports Pvt. Ltd. Is the vision of second generation entrepreneur, Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Director, AKVO and his team of researchers. The prototype of this new price efficient purifier based on AWG platform was showcased in Kolkata, which will soon be launched along with the industrial machines of AKVO 1000 and AKVO 5000 models across India.

Speaking elaborately about this dream project, Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, Director, AKVO, said, “With only 60% of water ready for consumption by 2030, India and rest of the world is staring at a global crisis, unless we care about our environment. The hour has come to try and find sustainable solutions to minimize the use of groundwater and innovate to develop cost efficient technology to provide clean drinking water for mankind. The Indian market is still in its nascent stage when it comes to adopting AWG technology. At AKVO, we are working towards manufacturing the most cost efficient AWG machine indigenously to cater to both industrial and household use. The depleting fresh water reserves along with rapid industrialization in India should augment the demand for AWG products in next few years. Alongside manufacturers need the policy and regulatory support from Government, Municipal bodies and Environment Activists to propose installation of AWGs to address the need of fresh drinking water.”
In line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, AKVO will be manufacturing all the products indigenously in India at their manufacturing unit near Kolkata. The current capacity of the company is 800 Industrial units per Month and will be scaled up to 2000 units over the course of next 6 months. It is the vision of Mr. Navkaran Singh Bagga, who as a second generation entrepreneur from Kolkata has come up with a solution to find answer with resilience required to save undue usage of groundwater and year on year operating and maintenance cost with RO filters. With the Union Government already planning adequate measures to address the depleting groundwater crisis and unavailability of clean drinking water, a product like AKVO is ideal for industrial demand, homes, public and private institutions, defence and a perfect model for natural disasters to aid human need and prevent contamination. The most abundant source of fresh water is the Earth’s atmosphere. AKVO AWG replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating the dew point, which allows it to make water continuously using plug and play method. AKVO AWG machines can generate water entirely depending on the level of humidity and atmospheric temperature which is ideal in Indian conditions for AWG machines to function to its optimum level.

On this momentous occasion, Mr. Harbans Singh Bagga, Managing Director, Trishan Exports Pvt. Ltd. said, “As a responsible Corporate entity this dream project will reduce unnecessary usage of groundwater and give mankind an answer to save the world for future generations.”

 Read the article here: India Education Diary