editon 2 Book Final 2 b toprint · Aureka is the only windmill research centre in India. It has...
2
Before Auroville’s extensive afforestation program and the bunding of land started, monsoon rains washed the top soil into the sea. Now trees hold the soil in place and water is controlled through 30 check-dams. The vortex system developed at CSR (Centre for Scientific Research), Auroville, provides a way to cleanse and eliminate all odor from wastewater. It generates centripetal and centrifugal forces that draw in oxygen through an air funnel in the centre. Ferrocement utilizes cement and steel in a more cost-efficient way. It’s widely used for roofing, waste water treatment systems and buffer tanks. Over 230 species of woody plants, trees, shrubs, and lianas have been propagated in nurseries and trans- planted in the forest. TDEF (Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest) is among the rarest forest types in India. It covers only 1-2% of its original area. In Auroville 1000 hectares in the Greenbelt area has been reforested with TDEF species. Auroville has over 150 houses fully powered by photo voltaic panels and some communities run solely on solar and wind energy. Electric two-wheeler vehicles, manufactured in Auroville, usually have a range of 30-50 km per charge and electric charging stations can be found around Auroville. The Kaluvelly watershed supplies water for the bio-region and Auroville. An interconnected network of rainwater storage tanks and ponds flow into the Kaluvelly watershed. This network has been used for hundreds of years to recharge the groundwater table and store rainwater. Without the earth-walled catchment water tanks, 90% of the monsoon rains would run off the Kaluvelly watershed into the sea. Auroville Water Harvest has completed the rehabilitation work of 18 minor irrigation tanks and 17 other water ponds in Tamil Nadu. Over two million trees have been planted in Auroville since 1968, the beginning of Auroville. Over 1000 plant species in TDEF forests have been identified for their medicinal or cultural uses. Since 1968 Aurovilians have transformed unproductive land into productive farmland. Forest Agro The do-nothing farming method that the Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka developed is applied in some farms here. Water Waste Habitat Energy The baffled septic tank used in DEWATS (Decentralised Waste Water Treatment System) reduces pollution by 90%, compared with 30% for a traditional septic tank. It is able to treat up to 1,000 cubic meters of domestic and non-toxic industrial sewage without mechanical means. Outreach Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) are made in a manual press using a mixture of earth and sand with only 3-5% cement. Compressed Earth Blocks embody about 4 times less energy than country-fired bricks and are about 4 times less polluting. The objective of Auroville is to cover 50% of it’s food demand with food grown by Auroville farmers. EM (Effective Micro-organisms) can be applied in toilets and in bathrooms as it dispels unpleasant odors within seconds. It controls the development of fungus and eliminates fly nuisance and cockroaches. Varagu grown on some Auroville farms. A type of millet indigenous to India, it is one of the most efficient crops to grow, providing a high level of nutrients and requiring little water. Several Auroville communities use vermi-composting units to compost fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, bread and leaves, producing rich soil with 6-8 times more minerals than ordinary soil. The promoters of EM(Effective Micro-organisms) in Auroville are active in training, education and technical consultancy, and hold monthly training sessions with farmers to train them in the use of EM technology. More than 105 different bird species have been spotted in Auroville’s forests. Aureka is the only windmill research centre in India. It has installed over 30 windmills in Auroville. It has also installed wind mills in Karnataka and other states of India. Solar energy in Auroville is used mainly for home lighting systems, pumping water for drinking purposes and irrigation, heating water for domestic purposes, and food processing. The 15m diameter Solar Bowl on top of the Solar Kitchen can convert 200 litres of water to steam and make over 1000 meals. green.aurovilleportal.org With support from Stichting de Zaaier
Transcript of editon 2 Book Final 2 b toprint · Aureka is the only windmill research centre in India. It has...
Before Auroville’s extensive afforestation program and the bunding of land started, monsoon rains washed the top soil into the sea. Now trees hold the soil in place and water is controlled through 30 check-dams.
The vortex system developed at CSR (Centre for Scientific Research), Auroville, provides a way to cleanse and eliminate all odor from wastewater. It generates centripetal and centrifugal forces that draw in oxygen through an air funnel in the centre.
Ferrocement utilizes cement and steel in a more cost-efficient way. It’s widely used for roofing, waste water treatment systems and buffer tanks.
Over 230 species of woody plants, trees, shrubs, and lianas have been propagated in nurseries and trans- planted in the forest.
TDEF (Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest) is among the rarest forest types in India. It covers only 1-2% of its original area. In Auroville 1000 hectares in the Greenbelt area has been reforested with TDEF species.
Auroville has over 150 houses fully powered by photo voltaic panels and some communities run solely on solar and wind energy.
Electric two-wheeler vehicles, manufactured in Auroville, usually have a range of 30-50 km per charge and electric charging stations can be found around Auroville.
The Kaluvelly watershed supplies water for the bio-region and Auroville.
An interconnected network of rainwater storage tanks and ponds flow into the Kaluvelly watershed. This network has been used for hundreds of years to recharge the groundwater table and store rainwater.
Without the earth-walled catchment water tanks, 90% of the monsoon rains would run off the Kaluvelly watershed into the sea.
Auroville Water Harvest has completed the rehabilitation work of 18 minor irrigation tanks and 17 other water ponds in Tamil Nadu.
Over two million trees have been planted in Auroville since 1968, the beginning of Auroville.
Over 1000 plant species in TDEF forests have been identified for their medicinal or cultural uses.
Since 1968 Aurovilians have transformed unproductive land into productive farmland.
Forest
Agro
The do-nothing farming method that the Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka developed is applied in some farms here.
WaterWaste
Habitat
Energy
The baffled septic tank used in DEWATS (Decentralised Waste Water Treatment System) reduces pollution by 90%, compared with 30% for a traditional septic tank. It is able to treat up to 1,000 cubic meters of domestic and non-toxic industrial sewage without mechanical means.
Outreach
Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) are made in a manual press using a mixture of earth and sand with only 3-5% cement.
Compressed Earth Blocks embody about 4 times less energy than country-fired bricks and are about 4 times less polluting.
The objective of Auroville is to cover 50% of it’s food demand with food grown by Auroville farmers.
EM (Effective Micro-organisms) can be applied in toilets and in bathrooms as it dispels unpleasant odors within seconds. It controls the development of fungus and eliminates fly nuisance and cockroaches.
Varagu grown on some Auroville farms. A type of millet indigenous to India, it is one of the most efficient crops to grow, providing a high level of nutrients and requiring little water.
Several Auroville communities use vermi-composting units to compost fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, bread and leaves, producing rich soil with 6-8 times more minerals than ordinary soil.
The promoters of EM(Effective Micro-organisms) in Auroville are active in training, education and technical consultancy, and hold monthly training sessions with farmers to train them in the use of EM technology.
More than 105 different bird species have been spotted in Auroville’s forests.
Aureka is the only windmill research centre in India. It has installed over 30 windmills in Auroville. It has also installed wind mills in Karnataka and other states of India.
Solar energy in Auroville is used mainly for home lighting systems, pumping water for drinking purposes and irrigation, heating water for domestic purposes, and food processing.
The 15m diameter Solar Bowl on top of the Solar Kitchen can convert 200 litres of water to steam and make over 1000 meals.
green.aurovilleportal.org
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