As the nation strives for climate-proof development, urban water management is critical for integrating green infrastructure to ensure resilience and sustainability. Cities, which are significant contributors to climate change, consume 78 per cent of the world’s energy and produce ove 60 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. With urban populations expected to rise sharply by 2050, green infrastructure offers a promising solution to mitigate environmental impacts while supporting urban water management.
Role of green infrastructure in urban water management
Green infrastructure is a broad concept that includes natural elements, engineered features, and hybrids designed to improve environmental quality in cities. It emphasizes nature-based solutions that address the issues caused by fast urbanization, such as pollution, stormwater runoff and heat islands. Essentially, green infrastructure plays a vital role in urban water management by managing stormwater runoff, improving water quality and reducing pressure on conventional water systems.
Traditionally, urban water management has been synonymous with grey infrastructure, a system of pipes and treatment plants. However, there is a total disregard for urban water systems' ecological and social aspects. Conversely, green infrastructure aligns with natural processes, providing a better and more sustainable form of water management.
For instance, permeable paving, green roofing systems and rain gardens allow for groundwater infiltration, thereby reducing surface runoff and promoting groundwater recharge. On the other hand, urban forests coupled with wetlands function as natural stormwater filters that remove impurities before rivers or lakes. Adopting such approaches leads to a decrease in flood risks, simultaneously improving the quality of water while at the same time preserving biodiversity.
Components of green infrastructure
Green infrastructures are diverse and can fit into different urban settings. Natural elements like parks, wetlands, and city forests help manage water in urban areas. Man-made features such as green roofs, permeable pavements, and bioswales mimic natural processes to manage stormwater and reduce the urban heat island effect. Hybrid systems that combine natural and man-made elements offer flexible solutions suitable to each city's specific needs.
For example, consider green roofs soaking up rainwater, cutting down on stormwater overflow. They also insulate buildings, which leads to lower energy use. Permeable pavements let water sink into the ground, which helps to prevent floods and refill groundwater reserves. Urban wetlands act as nature's water cleaners, removing pollutants from stormwater and giving wildlife a place to live. These elements work together to build a tough urban water system that can handle changing environmental conditions.
Utilization of solar energy
Renewable energy sources like solar power can be greatly effective in urban water management. Solar energy offers a sustainable and cost-effective way to power water treatment and distribution systems, making them more efficient and less dependent on fossil fuels. Solar-powered desalination plants can provide clean water in arid regions, reducing groundwater use and environmental impacts, while pumps are extremely beneficial in rainwater harvesting and efficient distribution of water without relying on the grid. Additionally, solar panels on green roofs generate clean energy while reducing storm water runoff and heat absorption.
Integrating solar energy with green infrastructure creates a holistic water management approach that tackles immediate challenges and ensures long-term sustainability. This blend of nature-based solutions and renewable energy strengthens cities' resilience to climate change while securing a reliable water supply for the future.
Challenges and barriers
Despite the obvious advantages of green infrastructure, there remain obstacles to its broad adoption, such as restricted land availability in highly populated places and severe cost limitations. Furthermore, for green infrastructure to continue to function, it needs constant upkeep. Another issue is equitable distribution, since affluent communities frequently have better access to green spaces than impoverished ones. The design of green infrastructure projects that benefit all urban residents, regardless of socioeconomic position, must be given top priority by politicians in order to alleviate these discrepancies.
Furthermore, to overcome challenges and accelerate green infrastructure-led urban water management, innovative strategies are essential. Financing mechanisms like green bonds, public-private partnerships, and policy incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies can encourage investment in sustainable projects. Clear regulatory frameworks will drive adoption by setting sustainability standards. Ongoing research and technological advancements are crucial for refining designs and enhancing performance, ensuring cities remain resilient and adaptable to emerging environmental challenges.
In gist
Integrating green infrastructure in urban water management is vital for sustainable, resilient cities. By using nature-based solutions, cities can mitigate environmental damage, improve social well-being, and enhance climate resilience. Building greener, healthier, and more livaable urban spaces requires thoughtful planning and commitment to green infrastructure.
About Author :
Fayyaz Ashraf – Managing Director – Solartive
Equipped with B. Tech in Electronics from WBUT, Mr Fayyaz Ashraf has a strong academic pedigree and the mindset of a progressive entrepreneur. Due to his electronics background, he understands controllers, motors, and pumps very well. Under his visionary leadership, today, the company is known for its expertise in the manufacturing of solar pump sets, which includes submersible/monoblock pumps, a broad range of highly efficient DC surface & submersible motors, and solar drives.
Mr Fayyaz Ashraf contributes to Solartive with over 10 years of professional experience and a multidisciplinary approach, including operational responsibility of miscellaneous units, development of strategic roadmaps, management of restructuring programs, realization of growth strategies as well as various M&A projects. Furthermore, Mr. Fayyaz Ashraf has deep insight into market entries and the optimization of business processes.
At Solartive, Mr Ashraf started with a street light project in 2014 in a small town of Jharkhand and then shifted to Ranchi with a vision to grow his family business to the next level. When he joined this family venture, the turnover of the company was only INR 2 Cr. Within ten years, he ensured robust growth for the business. Consequently, the company could record a turnover of INR 250 Cr in the last fiscal year. Mr. Ashraf now sets an ambitious target of INR 1,000 Cr within the next two years through optimal utilization of the company’s state-of-the-art production facilities and increasing the team strength to 10,000 headcounts.
With many years of experience in solar water pumps, Mr. Ashraf has developed extensive industry knowledge and leadership skills in research and development, manufacturing, marketing, strategic planning and regulatory compliance. These experiences enable him to lead teams, develop strategy, drive innovation, and ensure Solartive’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards.
When, as a trader, Mr. Ashraf started selling solar pumps with OEMs, he realized gaps in the service domain, which he wanted to resolve by applying all possible measures. This well-thought-out approach matured when Solartive was established in 2019.
Research and market analysis are Mr Fayyaz Ashraf's favourite areas, and he invests time in honing these skills, even in his leisure time, to project Solartive as an organisation to create a significant social impact.
Solartive
The genesis of Solartive dates back to 2007, when it was founded in a small village of Chatra district in Jharkhand. Ashraf Enterprises & Company, a Proprietorship firm, was initiated by the father and brother of Mr Fayyaz Ashraf, the man who transformed this 4×8 small shop into one of the country’s fastest-growing water infra and management companies with a Pan-India presence.
Later, in 2019, another firm was founded under the brand name “Solartive”. In the strategic direction and observation of the company owner, both companies were merged and made into a single unit and branded as Solartive. The transition from trader to manufacturer was aimed at providing clean water and electricity to everyone.
With unyielding dedication towards the Nation’s Preventive Maintenance of Water Infrastructure, the company aims to make public water infrastructure smart, efficient, and sustainable while aligning economic goals with environmental objectives.
After constant efforts and unshakeable commitment, Solartive is now counted among the top-notch water infra and management companies in India. Currently, it is managing the water supply of 1,00,000+ villages and 20+ cities across the country through a team of 1000+ professionals, innovative use of technology, renewable energy, and efficient management skills. As a reputed manufacturer of solar pump sets, it has a fabrication capacity of 1000 tons a month.
Solartive has a proven track record of accomplishing targets by being firm on its business values, embedded with honesty, dignity, and transparency. From its registered office in Ranchi, Solartive’s leadership team seamlessly manages the solar water pump units in Greater Noida, the fabrication plant in Ranchi, and more than ten service centres in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
The company works as an aggregator with various stakeholders, including central and state governments. Over the years, the company has successfully implemented various ESCO, Solar, IoT-based IT, and infrastructure projects under various central and state government initiatives such as Jal Jeevan Mission, PM-Kusum, Panghat Yojna, etc. JREDA, RHDS, MPUVNL, and Transmission Line in Jharkhand are the priority projects on the company’s ongoing list.
With a well-illustrated vision to make infrastructure smart and efficient, as well as clean water and electricity accessible to all, Solartive’s R&D team is constantly working on developing innovative solutions with improved product quality and design. By following this vision, the company, under the avid leadership of its Managing Director, Mr Fayyaz Ashraf, is eyeing a turnover of INR 1000+ Cr from the existing revenue of 250 Cr, and the employee strength from 300 to 10,000 in the next two-year time.
