Erode district, which lies within the western a part of Tamil Nadu, is a area characterized by means of restricted rainfall, dry local weather and erratic water provide. For the roughly 11 lakh citizens of the district who live in its rural spaces (as in line with 2011 Census), this abnormal water provide is a fair larger fear.
Consistent with the district management, whilst the agricultural water call for within the district is 74 MLD (million litres an afternoon), the water equipped is roughly 40 to 55 LPCD (litres in line with capita in line with day).
“This water is provided from the Kaveri and Bhavani rivers via 20 Mixed Water Provide Schemes (i.e. water from rivers) with the exception of native borewell assets. Recently, maximum villages in Erode district and in different places depend on overhead tanks (OHTs) for his or her water provide, sourced both from borewells or infiltration wells in close by rivers,” explains District Collector (DC) Raja Gopal Sunkara, a 2015-batch IAS officer, in a dialog with The Higher India.
DC Sunkara is going on to give an explanation for that within the Erode district, there are over 4,700 Over Head Tanks (OHTs) in rural spaces while the choice of tank operators is best 299.
Because of the reliance on tank operators, he explains the next issues have been being confronted:
1) Top water losses: “In maximum villages, we see overflowing OHTs because the motors aren’t switched off on time,” explains DC Sunkara.
2) Unreliable timings of water provide: Since tank operators must manually set up OHTs, water provide timings exchange from daily relying on their availability and punctuality.
3) Top electrical energy invoice for the native frame: “Because the motors aren’t switched off on time, the electrical energy expenses of villages building up,” he notes.
4) Dry Run: Motors get broken when they’re run with out water within the sump.
As Ok Renuva Devi, the Panchayat president of Kuttapalayam village explains, “Previous, we have been dependent at the tank operator, who used to manually function the gate valves and motor pumps. There was overflow from the tanks.”
To handle those failings of the OHT water provide machine in Erode district, DC Sunkara has put in IoT gadgets in 50 habitations throughout 16 villages, which the district management claims have now not best diminished electrical energy expenses by means of roughly 40% but additionally larger water provide by means of over 20%.
Discovering IoT answers
Prior to his present posting as DC of Erode in Might 2023, DC Sunkara — a dual-degree holder from IIT-Kharagpur — labored as a commissioner within the neighbouring Coimbatore town municipal company the place a 24/7 water provide scheme used to be being carried out, and as government director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Provide and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).
In each those roles, he were given a deeper working out of water provide techniques, however predominantly in city settings. “Following my posting in Erode, I organised common inspections to garner a better working out of the dimensions of the agricultural water distribution drawback,” he notes.
To take on those problems, the management put in IoT gadgets with the next options:
1. Tank-level indicators offering real-time updates on water ranges within the sumps and the OHT.
2. Computerized pumping: As in line with the program, water is routinely pumped to the OHT from the sump, with a semi-automatic choice for particular events.
3. Scheduled water provide: Timings can also be preset and valves open routinely.
4. Overflow Prevention: Set up of automated mechanisms to prevent overflow.
5. Complete information on water amount and timings, improving duty.
Consistent with DC Sunkara, “This IoT machine has already been effectively carried out in 63 OHTs in 50 habitations in Erode district, leading to important advantages — comparable to diminished motor working time, decrease electrical energy expenses, and minimised water wastage. Extra importantly, the reliability of water provide to the general public has noticed a exceptional growth; thus assuaging the weight on ladies who ceaselessly spend substantial time ready close to faucets.”
“The initiative prices kind of Rs 1 to at least one.5 lakh in line with OHT, and has been most commonly taken up beneath the village panchayat normal fund or fifteenth Central Finance Fee (CFC) price range. After the preliminary successes, we’re operating on putting in it in 150 OHTs in Har Ghar Jal villages (all families in that village are supplied with faucet water provide) the use of those price range at the side of the District Mineral Basis price range, Company Atmosphere Duty price range, and so forth,” he provides.
How does this generation paintings?
“A linear point sensor pushes tank point indicators to the IoT Grasp Controller, triggering the pump and inlet valve to make sure OHT filling when water ranges are low,” explains DC Sunkara.
As soon as the desired point is reached, the motor switches off, and the inlet valve closes. The hole valve operates routinely in accordance with pre-set schedules. Actual-time information generated from those purposes is saved in AWS Cloud and can also be accessed during the iNeer cellular app by means of stakeholders.
“Complete information on water amount and timings are accrued in real-time during the sensors, which is made to be had on a cellular software to native public representatives like Panchayat presidents, tank operators, councillors, and so forth. The cellular software referred to as iNeer, (to be had on Google Play Retailer) supplies insights into intake patterns and operational potency,” he says.
“In response to comments from the stakeholders, the cellular software has been redesigned to make it very user-friendly. The affect on citizens is mirrored in stepped forward water availability, dependable water timings, diminished ready time, higher water power and total comfort,” he provides.
To verify the program works, DC Sunkara notes how pilots have been taken up in Kumaravalasu, Kuttapalayam and Ponmudi village panchayats beneath the management of Panchayat presidents.
“The preliminary findings of those pilots have been very encouraging,” he stocks. However the management did stumble upon demanding situations all the way through the pilot/checking out procedure together with technical system defects and making sure compatibility with current infrastructure.
“Throughout the pilot degree, we deliberate for an electrical energy board (EB) provide for the IoT controllers and motorised valves. The controllers needed to be selected accordingly. The controllers were given broken all the way through voltage fluctuations and lightning occasions. We then presented a solar energy provide with battery backup. The specs for wattage, and so forth have been finalised after numerous trial and mistake,” he explains, including, “At each and every degree, it used to be a finding out procedure for us.”
Different implementation demanding situations integrated upkeep problems and the desire for steady tracking, requiring collaboration with tech professionals and common coaching for upkeep team of workers.
In the meantime, public representatives like Panchayat presidents and Councillors have been additionally skilled in the use of the app in which OHTs can also be managed and knowledge can also be noticed. Suffice it to mention, there used to be some scepticism in regards to the implementation of those IoT gadgets.
“Preliminary scepticism used to be because of the price of the generation and because there used to be no precedent to be told from. Whilst Panchayat presidents of the pilot villages took in this experiment with open minds, the opposite presidents have been introduced on board by means of arranging visits to peer the luck of the initiative in pilot villages. This helped triumph over this scepticism,” he provides.
Advantages to Rural Erode
How have those techniques benefitted citizens in the case of diminished motor working time, decrease electrical energy expenses, minimising water wastage and dependable water provide?
In Ponmudi village, as an example, the IoT machine used to be put in in 10 OHTs.
Consistent with DC Sunkara, “The electrical energy gadgets fed on fell from 35,930 (4 months prior to set up) to 17,819 (4 months post-installation) — a drastic 50% lower. The electrical energy invoice fell from Rs 2,72,707 to Rs 1,67,001 for a similar duration — a 40% fall. In the meantime, the amount of water equipped in line with day larger from 1.65 lakh litres to two.09 lakh litres — further provide of 44,180 litres. Those financial savings can be utilized for offering different facilities to the general public. The consequences for Ponmudi had been mirrored in different villages too.”
As Renuva Devi, Panchayat president of Kuttapalayam village additionally notes, “Now, we aren’t dependent at the tank operator. Water is routinely equipped to the general public at pre-set timings. There have infrequently been any lawsuits relating to water provide from the general public. Fastened amount is being equipped for a set timing after which, there are water financial savings.”
Those techniques additionally helped alleviate the weight on ladies — in particular from families without a direct water provide connections who ceaselessly spend a very long time ready close to faucets.
“In our society, the weight of fetching water falls on ladies. Water is provided via family connections or public fountains in rural spaces. Those that don’t have those connections or who aren’t getting good enough amounts of water via such connections have been both compelled to buy water within the personal marketplace or wait at public fountains. The weight on ladies used to be additional annoyed on account of unreliable water provide timings. They must wait at bizarre timings and for lengthy sessions for water,” informs DC Sunkara.
He additional explains, “Out of four,18,981 families, 3,56,101 have connections beneath the Jal Jeevan Undertaking, and works are ongoing for giving useful family faucet connections to all.”
Kalaiselvi, a 32-year-old resident of Ponmudi village, notes, “Previous, water provide in our village used to be problematic. It used to be controlled by means of a waterman (tank operator). He would transfer at the motor pump to the overhead tanks and fail to remember to modify it off. We must name and remind him, and best then would he transfer off the motor. There used to be numerous water wastage because of this.”
“Regardless of faucet connections being affected to all families beneath the Jal Jeevan Undertaking, we by no means knew when water could be equipped. Many of the ladies within the village cross to paintings. On days when water is provided, they must take depart or now not be capable of fetch water. Additionally, properties at a better elevation used to get much less water and the ones at a decrease elevation used to get extra water,” she provides.
“Now, a set amount of water is being equipped at pre-set timings, without reference to elevation. These days, our house will get water from 6 am to eight am on a daily basis. A WhatsApp workforce has been created wherein water provide timings are knowledgeable to us. Water wastage and electrical energy expenses even have come down. We aren’t compelled to take depart [from work] for fetching water,” says Kalaiselvi.
Shifting ahead, the plan is to put in those IoT gadgets in OHTs situated in different villages too. “Our imaginative and prescient is to harness to be had generation and amplify this initiative, one village at a time, utilising current price range,” says DC Sunkara.
(Edited by means of Pranita Bhat; Photographs courtesy Erode District Management)