On 31st June 2024, we had the opportunity to attend the release of the book State of India’s Environment in Figures by Down to Earth, presented by Sunita Narain. This event marked the annual release of their detailed state-wise analysis of various environmental issues.

The book's highlight is its numeric representation of facts and figures concerning climate change and related issues in India. The event involved the book's flow and a glimpse of its contents.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including:

Stories from Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to groundwater management, forest fires, plastic pollution, State of waste, transport, Greenhouse gases, Agriculture, Employment, farmers' protests, environmental crimes, and much more.

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• 2023 Marked the second hottest year on record with warm winters up to 1.71°C as the minimum temperature, the first time in the last 122 years. Extreme weather events were marked on 318 out of 365 days in 2023.

• 7 out of 9 analyzed cities showed 90% of their geographical areas under extreme heat and humidity making it worse as high humidity slows down the human body’s natural cooling process.

• Forestland diversion increased by 3.5% with half of it occurring in just five states. Elephant deaths surged by 63% due to electrocutions and the leopard population grew but over half resides outside the reserves.

• The most notable aspect of the book was the environmental crimes. Even though there is a decrease in registration of crimes by 18% in 2021-22. The Courts are disposing of cases at a rate significantly lower than new cases recorded, leading to cases piling up. This pile-up of new and old at the end of 2022 was a total of 1,39,246 cases.

Going through such an in-depth climate analysis was truly eye-opening. The timing of this release, just before the results of new elections in India, makes it even more relevant. We believe that sharing this information with you is crucial because awareness is the key to addressing these issues. So join us as we continue to share such updates on climate change in our broadcast channel on social media: Climate Woes

It is such a joy to see our project House with Three Pavilions find beautiful space in print and on the cover of Livingetc Magazine’s June 2022 issue. Aptly titled - ‘A Home with A Verandah’, the article draws attention to our countryside Goan house’s tangible connection to nature. It throws light on our tropical modern design approach and celebrates our efforts to create seamless indoor-outdoor spaces that allow our clients to take everyday life outdoors.

Read the published story here.

If you are considering buying a house in Goa, read our blogpost: What to Look For While Buying A House in Goa

To know more about our design process, take a look at: Designing A House in Goa

In this IG Live, we speak to Dr. Ajit Gokhale, the founder of Natural Solutions, India to discuss ‘Building Reed-bed system for Wastewater Management’.
Over our conversation, we get into details about the components of a Reed bed system, how the water purification is carried out, and the right methods of implementation. We also debunk common misconceptions about reed beds such as odor and maintenance requirements. Finally, we speak about the different types of flowering and fruiting plants that can be used for reed bed systems in Goa and along the Western Ghats.

Natural Solutions aims to spread environmental literacy and offers sustainable solutions for Urban as well as Rural Problems of water scarcity, Solid Waste Management, and wastewater treatment. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation.

Debunked myths about reed-bed systems

• A reed bed system does not smell if designed correctly. The simple precaution of introducing the inlet pipe at the bottom of the reed bed and not the top of the ensures that no foul smell is emanated.

• A reed bed does not have to be designed in a segregated area. It can very much designed as part of the landscape to be a walkable, usable space that can be accessed regularly.

• A reed bed can be used to effectively purify not just greywater but also black water and industrial wastewater when implemented correctly. It does not require significant additional maintenance.

Maintaining a reed-bed system

• A reed bed system typically consists of two parts - a sedimentation system (a septic tank/ an anaerobic digester/ Jalrakshak) and a filtration system (the reed bed itself). The entire system requires very little external care or maintenance.

• As with any common drainage or waste treatment system, the septic tank/ anaerobic digester/ Jalrakshak has to be cleaned occasionally.

• The reed bed itself does not require any maintenance. The plants can be trimmed for aesthetic value but it is not necessary. Trimming does not hamper the reed bed system as long as it is done as per a pruning schedule. Care has to be taken that the base of the plants are intact.

Benefits of a reed-bed system

• A reed bed system is a one-time investment with lifelong benefits. It is extremely low maintenance in the long run.

• Depending on the microclimate, the reed bed can purify every 1L of impure water to create 0.7 to 0.9L of filtered water that can be reused.

• The filtered water can be reused for irrigation & gardening, washing cars, and for flushing.

• The reed bed can be integrated as an accessible part of the landscape of the house with flowering and fruiting plants and trees that become home to local biodiversity.

Reed beds are sustainable, scalable, cost-effective ecologically engineered systems that can effectively purify wastewater. They are easy to maintain and can be designed into the landscape irrespective of the project size or typology.

Goa is a goldmine of biodiversity and native forests are the crucial negotiators that tie these ecosystems together. As awareness increases about habitat loss and deforestation, people have taken the responsibility of hosting planting and re-wilding drives. The first step in this process is to identify and select native plant species which are most effective and resource efficient for natural landscaping. Native trees offer huge short term and long term benefits:

• Native trees are well-adapted to the local climate, which means they will have the best chance at survival.

• Native trees prevent population decline of the local wildlife as the animals are not forced to shift into unfamiliar habitats.

• While non-native trees might not do well up against local pests, native trees often don’t have as many pest problems because they develop symbiotic relationships with other local species.

Here are 4 popular, easy to source, and easy to plant native species of Goa:

Terminalia Elliptica or The ‘Indian Laurel’ is the State tree of Goa. A few other names of this tree are Mati, Asna, Saj, or Crocodile Bark Tree.

Terminalia bellirica is a deciduous tree that grows upto 35 m in height. It is a sun loving tree that thrives in slightly moist soils. The fruit of the tree is often celebrated for its medicinal properties.

Pterocarpus marsupium, also known as Asann and Malabar kino is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) tall. It is native to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The beautiful yellow flowered tree however is currently on the list of threatened species due to dwindling numbers and needs to be revived.

Holoptelea integrifolia, also called The Indian Elm is a deciduous tree that grows upto 25m in height. It is often sourced for timber which makes cheap furniture and also used as firewood in rural parts. Its flowers, leaves and bark have medicinal uses.

Apart from this Goa has several indigenous fruit trees including jack fruit, tamarind, guava, pineapple, and kokum. While these are not advisable for highways, they are wonderfully suited for smaller city avenues, parks, city campuses, and most importantly individual residential plots.

A detailed list of Goa’s native trees can be found in this directory. These trees support a lot of insects and creepy crawlies. This post tells you how you can design to coexist with and celebrate Goa’s biodiversity.

Goa is listed among the 36 most important biodiversity hotspots in the worls. To know more about the ecological significance of this belt, you can read our blogpost on Protecting the Western Ghats here.

In this IG Live, I speak to Dr Pallavi Latkar, the technical brains behind the ecological site planning at our project, The House with Three Pavilions . Pallavi is an ecological expert, she is the Founder and Director at GRASSROOTS Research & Consultancy in Mumbai. Over the Live session, Pallavi and I discuss the extensive rain water harvesting system we have created at The House with Three Pavilions. For this site with many contours and topographical variations in Goa, this monsoon ready water management has been a great way of rainwater harvesting and distribution to recharge the underground water table. Over the course of our conversation, we get into the details behind the site planning and construction, discussing the key techniques we have employed. We also speak about the benefits of conserving natural water systems and debunk myths around the maintenance of these systems.

Here are some additional takeaways from the session:

• Every site has a story to tell - the story of its soil, water, and vegetation. Listen to the story - smell, see, touch and feel its elements.

• Our sights have many hidden clues in plain sight - within the trees, plants,and shrubbery. FOr example:

  • A Mango Tree with a dense canopy tells us the site has a good water table.

  • The presence of wild Colocassia indicates the spot where water will stand and collect in the monsoons.

  • Moringa and Neem Trees are native trees that are most beloved by birds.

  • ‘Shankasur’ or Cesalphinia is a favourite haven for bulbuls.

  • Fish-tail Palms will attract Barbets, Coppersmiths, and Hornbills.

• Young architects who do not have access to an environmental consultant can start off by using free and universal tools such as:.

  • Google Earth Imagery from which contour levels of the site can be approximately extracted. 

  • Toposheets of India can be found online - it may require some searching on websites of Landscape Universities worldwide. 

  • Rainfall data and history are available online at various sites including The Meteorological Department website to ascertain the precipitation on your site.

  • The website of The Irrigation Department of India which gives the specifics about soil in every region. 

  • Software like Google SketchUp, Revit and Grasshopper which allow you to geo-locate and model the site and surroundings in 3D which will help you visualize the terrain.