Green Carpets and Grimy Nalas

Newsletter May 2024

Monthly Highlights

VK:e leading sustainability conversations

Dr. Poorva Keskar (Partner at VK:e and IGBC Chairperson, Pune Chapter) was the keynote speaker at ACE REFLECT, an architecture and interior design expo in Pune. She spoke on the topic "Future Proof Built Environments".

She highlighted the importance of integrating HVAC systems with architectural design during her talk at the 'Women in ISHRAE Tech Talk' event at MCCIA Trade Tower, emphasizing the role of cohesive planning in enhancing building efficiency and sustainability.

Discussion on Ecological Nala Restoration

Organised by Sustainability Initiatives and VK Group on 31st May 2024, the interactive sessions are aimed at sparking dialogues about the significant efforts required to restore our local ecosystems.

VK:e Featured Projects

XSIO Logistics Park Awarded IGBC Platinum Rating

XSIO logistics park, Nagpur project has received IGBC Platinum rating under IGBC Green Logistics Park rating system. Key green features include harvesting achieving 37% water savings along with low-flow fixtures and waterless urinals. Provisions are given for composting 100% of wet waste on-site. Additionally, 10% of the site is covered with dense vegetation, and 1350 kW of solar PV panels offset 100% of annual energy consumption. The project also features over 30% reduction in lighting power density, installation of solar street lights and rainwater pits in nearby villages, and pedestrian pathways with 10% areas reserved for service parking.

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Green Carpets and Grimy Nalas

Green carpet for CM Shinde during desilting inspection sparked online trolling

It took a Chief Minister and a green carpet to bring attention to our dying "nalas".

The word "nala" has rich historical roots, tracing back to Persian, meaning a small stream, canal, or ravine. It has connections to the Hebrew word "nahal," similar to a wadi—sometimes wet, sometimes dry—mirroring the characteristics of subtropical monsoon environments. If we study its etymology, the word may be borrowed from Bengali নালা (nala),Hindiनाला(nālā), from Sanskrit नाडी(nāḍī). "Nala" has several transliterations, including nala, nallah, and nullah, all used in official documents. Unfortunately, the word has evolved to acquire the connotation of sewers, a shift seen in Euro-American contexts.

Historically, "nala" did not appear in early Mughal texts, but was mentioned in Jahangir's memoirs and more frequently in Shah Nawaz Khan’s Maathir-ul-umara. By the late 18th century, dictionaries defined "nala" as a stream, small creek, rivulet, or ravine. However, in the 1850s, its negative connotations began to emerge:

1850s: References to odor and filth in nalas in cities like Madras and Calcutta, notably Tolly’s Nalah in 1777.
1863-64: Medical reports recommended converting open nalas into covered sewers due to health issues linked to the monsoon seasons.
1860s-70s: Urban public health regulations, like the Bengal Council Laws of 1864, mandated keeping nalas free from filth and obstructions.
1872: Sanitary Commissioner reports advised against constructing wells near nalas, tanks, or stagnant water pools.
1876: Urdu histories, like Shahjahan Begum’s Táj-ul Ikbál Tárikh, discussed nalas and larger water systems.
1885: The Encyclopedic Dictionary defined "nala" as a sewer.

Once vital community lifelines, nalas have transformed into polluted sewers. After the recent flood, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has undertaken desilting of drains to mitigate the risks of the oncoming monsoons. But recognizing their historical significance of nalas and the shift in their perception is crucial for their restoration.

Through the interactive session on Ecological Nala Restoration organised by Sustainability Initiatives and VK Group on 31st May 2024, we hope to bring attention to these crucial aspects and move towards a sustainable future.

- Article contributed by Dr Anagha A., Program manager, SI

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