22 Jan :The Magarpatta city, more popularly known as ‘Oxygen Zone’ is located in the city of Pune in the Western part of India. Each house of the city is provided with a solar water heater. Additionally, there is a biogas power generation plant that converts two tonnes of organic waste into 10.7 million KWh of electricity every day. Other major activities such as rainwater harvesting. waste water recycling and solid waste managemen, are also implemented in the showcase city.
It is a one-of its-kind integrated township developed by 120 families of farmers from Magarpatta who came together to pool in their ancestral land. Approved by the Government of Maharashtra, it is spread over 430 acres of prime land, which is planned on the core idea of ‘walk-to-walk, walk –to-school’, elimination the stress of travelling for both parents and their children. The goal was to create a city where the needs of a family would be integrated into one campus. It emphasizes on environment, education, healthcare and fitness, and recreation as well. The renewable energy technologies/devices are integrated in the complex in the form of :
Solar Water Heating System
Magarpatta City has become home to one of the largest residential solar water heating systems in the country. Currently, about 3194 solar collectors have been put in all the residential neighbourhoods comprising about 3500 flats in Phase I & II of Magarpatta City. The total capacity of the installed system is 4,03,150 LPD (litres per day) and the saving of carbon emission in tonnes per year is 6047.25. The electrical units saved per year are 68.94 lakh KWh.
Upon completion of Magarpatta City, the total solar collectors will be 7160. Approximately, 9 lakh litres of water per day will be heated through these collectors. The savings in electrical units would be 1,45, 48,000 units per year which would mean saving 5.81 crore/year in the cost of power. The savings in carbon emission would be 13,483 tonnes per year.
Solar Passive Architecture
All the neighbourhood units are based on courtyards planning. These landscape courtyards are suitable for interactive space. Buildings are mostly aligned east-west to facilitate minimal exposure to the Sun. Large projections of open-to-sky terraces are provided to all the buildings. Fly ash bricks are used with cavity walls giving very good thermal insulation to the buildings. Hard surfaces are kept minimum by using grass pavers in parking areas and footpaths to reduce the heat radiation. ‘Cybercity’ the IT Park has double-skinned buildings with glass facade which minimizes the thermal transmission.
Solid Waste Management
Eco-friendly practice of segregation of over 400 tonnes of household and commercial garbage, trash and waste per month is done at source of which 280 tonnes of biodegradable waste is used for vermi-culture and bio-compost.
A two tonne capacity biogas plant is installed in Magarpatta City wherein biodegradable waste goes through a process and the non-polluting biogas which is generated is used to generate power to operate a major percentage of the garden pumps. This saves excessive power equivalent to 118 commercial gas cylinders of 19 kilograms capacity per month, which translates to a power generation of over 270 electrical units per day. The nursery has vermi-culture and bio-compost pits, which generate manure from garbage segregated at source at Magarpatta City.
The manure composted here provides for nourishing these saplings and shrubs. Organic pesticides like Verticillium and Trichoderma are used extensively. Not only are plants, saplings, and organic vegetables sold here, a unique facility of a plant library is also offered whereby just like a book/ video library one can enjoy the different plans here at a nominal charge for a limited period providing a refreshing and dynamic feel to one’s dwelling. The inorganic recyclable waste collected (about 480 tonnes per year) is sorted out and sold to the vendors.
Sewage Water Treatment
There is a comprehensive network of sewage treatment plants with capacity ranging from 0.25 MLD (million litres per day) to 3 MLD.Electrolysis, filtration and electrolytic disinfections are the various processes followed. Currently water is used for construction and landscaping. Ultimately, the entire treated water will be used for landscaping and air-conditioning for water-cooled chillers.
Water Harvesting
Currently, 15 existing wells are used and these are interconnected. There is also an artificial lake covering over 2 acres of land. The entire paved area is laid out in interlocking blocks except for roads. The base of the interlocking blocks is made with hard murum to allow water to penetrate through. Excess rainwater is collected in storm water drainage system along roadsides by preceding soak chambers and trench drains. Storm water recharging pits and bore wells of 150 mm diameter up to 150 feet depth are developed at over 30 meters. The rechargeable pits contain filter bed of sand, gravel and brickbat. Raw rainwater is filtered through gravity filter leading to recharge bore-well pits. Pune’s largest mist fountain enhances the microclimatology here.
Extensive Landscaping
The USP of Magarpatta City is its extensive green cover. Landscaping is done on the concept of ‘Rutuchakra’ where the flowers bloom all round the year. There are 24,700 trees, shrubs spread over 3,00,000 square feet of well-manicured lawns in the township. A six metre Green Band has been created along the periphery. Trees include many indigenous/native species like Neem, Pipal, Bakul, Palas, Pangara, and Pimparni. A tree plantation drive is carried out every year on World Environment Day wherein all the residents and Cybercity companies take part to plant various saplings in a planned manner. The Central Garden in Magarpatta City named ‘Aditi Garden’ is of 25 acres. Besides this, every residential neighbourhood has its own independent garden.