1. NALA GARDENS: Beautiful Storm-water Drains
Mrs Almitra H Patel
50 Kothnur, Bangalore
Member, Supreme Court Committee
for Solid Waste Management

2. Storm-water drains are the dirtiest parts of most cities
Waste from apartments or slums is thrown into them
They are used as public toilets
Keepers of street pigs break drains and man-holes to create mud-wallows in nalas for their pigs
Sewage is let out into nalas by new buildings, contaminating drinking-water lines nearby

3. Pune city beautifies its Nalas. Osho Teerth was first, in 1991
12 acres of degraded wasteland beside a sewage-ridden stream became a lovely Zen Garden, 900 m long x 60-70m wide.

4. 2 settling ponds with 30 - 20 cm level drops remove 80% solids
2 settling ponds with cm level drops remove 80% solids. Gambusia fish control mosquitoes.

5. Sludge removed regularly is used for garden contouring & nursery plants. Eqpt removes oil coming from Railway Yard.

6. Summer water flow is 2mld
Summer water flow is 2mld. Peak monsoon flows of 300 mld bypass the 2 biological ponds.

7. After 2 serpentine aeration ponds, small water-falls aerate water
After 2 serpentine aeration ponds, small water-falls aerate water. Bends create needed turbulence.

8. This 2 km long garden pays for itself ! 2 km upstream are planned

9. Pune City’s Ambiloda garden uses a giant water-jet & rocky stream-bed to aerate 10-12 mld nala flow

10. Fully Fencing any new nala garden is the 1st and costliest requirement
Fully Fencing any new nala garden is the 1st and costliest requirement. Firms may sponsor sections for advts.

11. Half-round pipe for Nala training is inexpensive and effective

12. … but freak floods can wash off the unpaved side gardens

13. Nala-training with Stone Pitching protects plantings during floods

14. Manholes are repaired for sewage to run below Karve Rd garden strip

15. Pune’s Horticulture Supt Mr Khaire needs a temporary watchman cabin at the entrance of new gardens

16. Watchman uses a portable pump to water garden with nala waste-water

17. Settling pool cleans 5 mld water flow at start of 1 km Kondwa nala garden

18. Turbulent flow in rocky nala-bed aerates the water, reducing smell

19. Nala-bed grasses are encouraged. Man-holes are regularly cleaned.

20. Over-Bridge to Slum is fenced so residents can cross with dry feet.

21. Tall chain-link fence on over-bridge keeps garbage out of nala garden.

22. Debris in nala was used as soling for paths, then covered with soil

23. Long winding walk-ways lead to cuddapah-stone crossings

24. Quick-growing 6-month-old poplars hide the nala fencing

25. Soil+planting costs Rs 5 lac per km Ornamental grasses are cheap and easy to maintain.

26. Creepers conceal the stone embankments of steep nalas

27. Open seating invites public activities in nala garden

28. Lt Col Suresh Patil of Green Thumb Nursery planted bajra to attract birds

29. Pimpri-Chinchwad Mnicipal Corp has transformed a stinking quarry to a scenic lake.

30. 13a quarry with 3-6 m water gave 5a forest,7a lake, 4a activity area

31. Slums of 8000 population were fenced but undisturbed

32. Toilets are provided to the slums before open spaces are fenced.

33. Waste-water inflow channel to the quarry was cleaned and concreted

34. Cannas planted where waste-water enters quarry help in initial cleaning. Creepers beautify the rocky walls.

35. Rock ‘islands’ in quarry lake will be developed for recreation

36. PCMC is making a jogging track around a dying pond to save it.

37. The benefits of storm-nala beautification are enormous
Ribbon parks spread throughout the city provide recreation and reduce air pollution.
Local health and hygiene are improved
Stray pig and dog menace is minimised
Annual drain desilting costs are slashed
Contamination of fresh-water is reduced
Sewage-treatment costs come down
Lake quality downstream is vastly improved

38. The cost - benefits of beautification are unbeatable
Storm-drain gardens cost Rs 50 lacs per km
Most of this is for good permanent fencing,
concrete channels for low-flow water, and
stone pitching of steep nala banks, which reduces siltation downstream.
Pay-back in savings on desilting, sewage treatment cost & health care is 3-4 years.

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