Operationalization of Urban Nexus

Approaches in City of Nashik, India

Emani Kumar Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia

Urban Nexus City: Nashik

Situated on the Northwest of the state of Maharashtra, India

Located on the bank of Godavari River Administrative headquarter of Nashik

District and Division 3rd largest and the 3rd the most

industrialised city in Maharashtra 4th largest city: population of 1,486,973

(2011) One of the holiest cities of India, hosts

Simhashth Kumbh Mela, a mass Hindu pilgrimage, once in 12 years .

Famous for its grape production and is known as the ‘Grape city’ or ‘Wine capital of India’.

Nexus Approaches in Nashik

Objective: To identify and establish mutually beneficial responses from the inter-linkages between sectors (water, energy, food) Donor: GIZ Duration: November, 2013 to July, 2014 Scope of Work: Identifying potential thematic and strategic foci for the respective pilot measure

Growth Trajectory & Resource Constraints

Population projected to cross 3

million in 2026 and 5 million

in 2014!!!

Area increased by

22 times in 100

years and

population by 30

times!!!

With the increasing

population there is

increased demand

for drinking water

supply!!

Non revenue water

(NRW) is very high and

needs urgent attention!!!

Groundwater pumping for

agricultural purposes is very energy

intensive!!

Groundwater level is decreasing at

the rate of 1-3 m in every five

years!!!

High paced

urbanization,

industrialization and

fast deforestation:

Less area for

cultivation

“Considering the agricultural importance of Nashik, it was proposed to bring the fallow/scrub land into urban and peri-urban agriculture practices which will

reduce energy and water demand” – ULTIMATE GOAL OF NASHIK

Nexus in Nashik

Pilot Interventions included:

1. Agriculture Pump Set Efficiency Performance Evaluation 2. Mapping biogas potential in the pilot area 3. Creating potential groundwater recharging system 4. Promoting agro-education in schools

Energy

Food

Water

Inter- sectoral linkages: Integration of separately designed and managed systems in Nashik: Water,

Agriculture (Food) and Energy Institutional and Multi-level linkages:

At least 10 separate departments responsible for water, energy and agriculture in Nashik

Agriculture Pump Set Efficiency Performance Evaluation

Inefficient irrigation pump sets used with operating efficiency <30% or less

Energy consumption is very high on farms:

i. Improper selection and installation of pumps,

ii. Use of high-friction piping, and

iii. Lack of proper maintenance

Semi-structured interview with more than 120 farmers in Makhmalabad

Auditing of 8 agricultural pumps in the study area

Identify the major causes of low operating efficiency and recommend improvements / better operating practices

Study external parameters that could affect the efficiency and their impact on operating efficiency

Pilot Activities Include:

Replacement of inefficient pumps by ISI marked and BEE

approved energy efficient pump sets to demonstrate impact!!

Training and capacity building of farmers !!

Implementations can reduce energy consumption at agricultural farms by

about 20% to 30% !!!!

Mapping Biogas Potential in the Pilot Area

Strategic step to reduce dependence on fossil fuels

Few decades back farmers had installed biogas plants under National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP), GoI.

However, biogas has lost its charm due to urbanization and reduction in livestock

Need to look into options to revive usage of biogas technology

Calculations show that replacing fossil fuels by biogas reduces the CO2 emission per unit of energy by 90%!!

Survey of Pilot Area to assess: Numbers and locations of functional

and non-functional biogas plants Number of individual and community

plants Reasons for non-functionality of

abandoned biogas plants Number of cattle sheds in the area

which can serve as potential source for raw material Only 16% of installed biogas

plants are functional presently!!

Creating Potential Groundwater Recharge Systems

Feasibility study by NMC to construct groundwater recharging system

Along with NMC, ICLEI SA is constructing groundwater recharging systems at one of the 4 sites in city

Recharging Systems will reduce surface runoff and maintain water table for usage during dry spells!!

Exposure visits for students to agricultural farms to raise awareness towards actual farming practices and importance of organic farming

Visit to model farm with variety of plantations, horticulture nursery, demo models of water conservation units etc.

First tour was organized on 13th April, 2014 with 35 school children along with teachers participating

Facilitated through KK Wagh College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology

Promoting Agro –tourism/ Agro-education among School

FOOD

Agricultural

Pump Set

Efficiency

Performance

Evaluation

WATER

Groundwater

Recharging

ENERGY

Mapping

Biogas

Potential in the

Pilot Area

CLIMATE

CHANGE

Reduced energy

consumption

Livestock manure management;

biofertilizer

Institutional and Multi-level Linkages

Formation of Stakeholder Group

Different departments at multi-levels involved: ‒ Water Supply and Sewerage; Environment; Town

Planning Dept. NMC (City level),

‒ Irrigation Department (District and State level),

‒ State Agriculture Department (State level),

‒ Maharshtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (District level)

‒ KK Wagh College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, (Academic)

‒ Agriculture Produce Market Committee (District level)

‒ Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (Research )

‒ Maharashtra Environmental Engineering Training and Research Academy (City level)

Perfect

example of

institutional

and

managerial

silos!!!

Outcomes, Challenges & Lessons Learnt

Outcomes

Improved inter-departmental coordination Multi-level governance Improved energy efficiency by replacing inefficient pump sets with more efficient, right sized pumps and low-friction valves and piping Promoting the revival of non-functional biogas plants helped in improved resource efficiency Conservation of natural resources through groundwater recharging Awareness raising through students Training and capacity building of local farmers helped in sensitizing them to the utilization of energy efficient pumps Community ownership of the project through a tripartite agreement between the farmers, the NMC and ICLEI South Asia

Challenges

The major short-comings in bringing institutional and multi- level linkages included: ‒ Composition of institutions ‒ Limited mandate of existing institutions ‒ Decision making process ‒ Bureaucratic and political interference ‒ Weak enforcement capacity ‒ No inter-departmental/institutional communication

Lessons Learnt

Bringing together multiple levels of governance requires considerable time Limited time and human resources can shape an Urban NEXUS outcome Creating openness to the Urban NEXUS approach is crucial Building trust with communities is a make or break factor Political will and commitment ensure that an Urban NEXUS project will take flight Building awareness is a continuous process

Thank You

For more information:

emani.kumar@iclei.org or

iclei-southasia@iclei.org