GHMC plans to lay permeable pavements to conserve water
HYDERABAD: Recognising the importance of water conservation in Greater Hyderabad where groundwater levels are depleting with each passing day due to overexploitation, the GHMC has planned to introduce pervious concrete/permeable pavements/tiles in various public places such as low-loading intensity parking pavements, footpaths, walkways, park pathways, and other such areas wherever feasible.
Recently, Re Sustainability Pvt Ltd, a GHMC-authorised construction and demolition (C&D) waste management agency, developed pervious concrete blocks and tiles. They held a demonstration in the presence of GHMC commissioner D Ronald Rose and other senior officials.
It was found satisfactory and was advised to carry out further research and development and to lay a pilot footpath at a suitable public place. Sources said that if the pilot project percolates water as expected, in the future all new parking areas and the pavements would be covered with this kind of material.
Acknowledging the importance of improving the depleting groundwater levels, GHMC Commissioner, D Ronald Rose had instructed concerned officials and C&D waste management agencies of GHMC to make pervious concrete and tiles by utilising C&D recycled material.
The processed waste would be put to good use of improving groundwater levels and at the same time reducing the harvest of natural aggregate from quarries and river beds. It addresses both sustainability and environmental impact at the same time, the commissioner had said.
Currently, the GHMC is operating two C&D recycling plants and two more will come into operation soon from which the processed C&D recycled material can be used for footpath tiles, kerb stones, and concrete blocks. These can be used for all non-structural items in the urban landscape infrastructural works such as pathways, footpaths, parking areas, etc.
Ronald Rose said that due to ongoing construction and modernisation of urban zones the area of cemented surfaces is increasing, creating greater superficial runoff water to be evacuated. Pervious concreting challenges the traditional concept of evacuating rainwater into the nearest nalas or a stormwater drain. Moreover, by being done with recycled material, it would make it an environmentally friendly initiative.
Pervious concrete is a special type of highly porous concrete which allows runoff water to pass through into the soil by natural filtration. Pervious concrete pavements include a porous concrete slab, a base layer, and a stone reservoir layer for stormwater storage that allows water to gradually infiltrate the soil.
GHMC officials said that regular concrete is impermeable and hence rainwater goes to waste. Permeable pavement is a green infrastructure solution that is designed to let rainwater through to the ground below, reducing runoff and flooding while simultaneously refilling depleted aquifers. While permeable pavement is more common in many countries and has been deployed to manage rains in cities, pervious concrete, though relatively new and unknown to many, has been widely used in low-volume road projects in developed countries.