BHUNGROO™: WORLD BANK AWARDED RAIN WATER HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY

GIR NATIONAL PARK & SANCTUARY
Besides being the only abode of Asiatic lions, Gir forest also has other habitants like leopards, spotted deer, chinkara, wild boar, ungulates, sambar, nilgai, antelopes and thousands of bird species and numerous reptiles.
The Forest Department, therefore has a great responsibility to ensure to maintain the wild life as well as flora & fauna in the Gir forest.

WATER FOR ANIMALS
Animals require a steady supply of water for it’s survival and for vital functions, since all chemical reactions in the bodies of animals use water as a medium.

DRY SPELL
• Shortage of water in summer is the biggest issue
• There are only 400 water points for animals in Gir forest
• When drought hits the area following a poor rainfall, surface water is not available at a majority of these points and water scarcity becomes a serious problem
• As a result, wild animals have to fight to get water and worst, they are dying due to shortage/non-availability of water

Ensuring drinking water to animals during peak summer is therefore, most difficult task for the Forest Department

FLOODS
During the 2015 floods, Gir forest lost about 10 Asiaitc lions, 1670 Nilgais an 80 deers. Such causalities can be avoided by BHUNGROO.

SOLUTION
BHUNGROO can be the best and most suitable solution for ensuring round-the-year and steady water supply for the wild animals of Gir Forest.

SUGGESTION
With installation of Bhungroos (alongwith dedicated small water points with appropriate lining) all over the Gir Forest, the Forest Department can ensure that wild animals do not suffer because of insufficient drinking water or excess flood water.

Bhungroo can prove to be the most appropriate solution by-
• Making land water-logging free
• Guaranteeing water to animals
• Saving animals from water crisis
• Guaranteeing success to Forest Department

BHUNGROO is a unique innovative and efficient rainwater conservation & ground water storage technology developed by a social entrepreneur, Mr. Biplab Ketan Paul

The innovator of Bhungroo, Mr. Biplab K Paul is recipient of –
• UN Award For Climate Change Mitigation (UNFCCC, 2014-15)
• Millennium Alliance Award from US and UK Government Award
• Best Fellows for Poverty Eradication by US government
• Changemaker for India by Noble Laureate
• Ambassador for Peace by United PF, New York
• World Bank India Development Market Place Award 2007
• Commonwealth, US Dept of State, RENAC, SEAPCP Fellowships
• Water Star Award 2012
• Best Contributor for Rural Development 2012-13 by Gujarat Government
• Ashoka Globalizer from India in 2012 & 2014
• Rockefeller Centennial Innovation Challenge Topper 2013

Mr. Biplab Ketan Paul has been working on Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of Antyodaya for almost three decades.
A grass root development professional, Biplab has been working for developing innovative technologies for water management. Bhungroo is the outcome of his efforts…

This globally recognized disaster mitigating and rain water harvesting technology filters, injects and stores excess water or storm water underground for usage in lean periods. It ensures adequate water supply, after appropriate filtration, for wild animals of the Forest with zero water footprint i.e. by storing and then using rainwater. Using a surface space of only one square meter, Bhungroo can store one to four million litres of water in each year within its subsurface zone. Each Bhungroo can store and supply 4 to 40 Million Litres water/year.

Bhungroo needs relatively low capital investment once in a life time and it uarantees harnessing of water for the next 30 years, with low O&M cost. The technology is able to pay off for its cost in less than two years, making it one of the most preferred solutions for Forest Department.

TECHNOLOGY DETAILS:
• Bhungroo works on filtered injection method
• Creates water lenses, to be stored at sub-soil
• Top soil gets back soil moisture
• Existing soil moisture takes care of monsoon/wet cropping
• In winter period, the injected water is lifted from sub-surface storage for usage, from lesser depth

ADVANTAGES OF BHUNGROO
• Makes land productive from year-one. Thereby increasing vegetation.
• Guarantees availability of water round-the-year
• Soil retains water and salt deposition gets reduced at the top in a manner that desertification is controlled.
• Provides drinking water to the animals
• Thus a continuous injection and drafting cycle is created

BHUNGROO’S WATER STORAGE
Bhungroo does not need to store water for lifelong
Each year Bhungroo takes excess water inside
Bhungroo retains excess rainwater within subsoil
That water will be retained till winter/lean period usually
Retained water volume is 4 to 40 Million Litres
Withdrawal of water takes place in next 3-4 months

BHUNGROO: TECHNICAL PROCESS

Step	ACTION	OUTPUT
1	Pre feasibility study by NSPL team	Challenges verification
2	Local intelligence Geophysical (Soil characteristic, gradient, Water catchment- quantum, variation etc, Water momentum, water logging duration, crop loss detail) etc by NSPL team	Site identification
3	Local intelligence Agri (crop variation, duration, irrigation needs etc)	Do
4	Local intelligence Anthropogenic (Poverty, vulnerability, livelihood, Do gender) by NSPL team	Do
5	Trial Drilling by NSPL team	Soil strata detail
6	Detail Budget preparation by NSPL team	Estimating cost
7	Water catchment defining, water holding wall creation by NSPL team	Earth work
8	Final Drilling, casing, perforation in casing, Filtration chamber, ventilation by NSPL team.	Injection module
9	Pumping system erection, energy connection by farmers	Water lifting module
10	Water lifting for winter irrigation by farmers	Pumping

BHUNGROO: UNIT COST

STEP	ACTIVITY/SERVICE	APPROX COST COMPONENTS
1	Area Feasibility study, Local intelligence Geophysical (cost of mandays, travel, community interaction, mobilization, documentation follow up)	At least 30 mandays’ cost spread over 60 days, travel, local group mobilization cost, Time cost of each of the team members, daily travel costs, communication cost, administration cost, International travel cost
2	Local intelligence (Agriculture)	At least 30 mandays’ cost spread over 60 days, travel, local group mobilization cost, Time cost of each of the team members, daily travel costs, communication cost, administration cost, International travel cost
3	Local intelligence (Anthropogenic)	At least 30 mandays’ cost spread over 60 days, travel, local group mobilization cost, Time cost of each of the team members, daily travel costs, communication cost, administration cost, International travel cost
4	Trial Drilling	As per the Local Market rate (singular intervention) + Mandays from technical team+ travel + administration + documentation
5	Detail Budget preparation + license fee	Do
6	Water catchment defining, water holding wall creation	Earth work cost as per CMT cost as per Local Market rate
7	Final Drilling, casing, perforation in casing, Filtration chamber, ventilation	as per Local Market rate
8	Pumping system erection, energy connection	as per Local Market rate
9	Water lifting for winter irrigation	as per Local Market rate

BHUNGROO: EFFICIENCY PARAMETERS
Most important factor where to store the water & how much water can be stored.
Interestingly both these factors are interlinked.
Hence Bhungroo design will depend upon following major factors and sub variables.
– Agro climatic zones- (8 sub variables)
– Top soil- (6 sub variables)
– Soil strata- (3 sub variables)
– Community- (6 sub variables)
– Agriculture pattern- (4 sub variables)
– Sustainability- (3 sub variables)

PARTNERSHIP/FELLOWSHIP
1. Ashoka Innovator for public for taking innovation into proof of concept for ultrapoor women small holders in disaster affected areas 2010-2012
2. Rockefeller Foundation for improving the quality of life of ultrapoor women with use of gender centric innovation from 20012-2015
3. Deshpande foundation (MIT sandbox) for creating SOPs for scaling of innovation in Indian states 2013-2014
4. Department of Science and Technology, India Government for demonstrating innovations to farmers 2015-2016
5. Millennium Alliance (UK Government) for expanding innovation to South East Asian Nations 2015-2018

WITH KNOWLEDGE SUPPORT:
1. Stanford Business School 2014-15 to create Business plan based development model
2. IIM Ahmedabad’s CIIE 2015-16 to create gender centric pro-poor expansion plan of Bhungroo across Indian states
3. Harvard University 2015-17 to streamline technology & innovation application across nations

The innovator of Bhungroo