Water Body Revival in Small Towns: Challenges, Solutions, and Case Insights

A concise field investigation of the Marathwada region conducted in 2016 indicates that metropolitan areas are facing a water crisis due to watershed depletion, population increase, water quality disparities, encroachment, unlawful building, and inadequate groundwater replenishment. Many urban lakes are deteriorating due to human activity, resulting in contaminated sediments, degraded water quality, diminished habitat and recreational options. The deterioration of these lakes acts as a source of contaminants, adversely affecting human health and ecological integrity. The rehabilitation and revitalization of these water bodies is vital for public health, as they provide key ecosystem services necessary for regulating microclimate, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling, at the same time fulfilling water requirements during shortages. This study analyzes Gaothan Lake notable biodiversity hotspot, located in Ausa, with a surface area of around 5.72 hectares and a storage capacity of up to 171,000 cubic meters. The lake's water quality has deteriorated dramatically, making it unfit for its traditional uses due to the release of municipal waste, agricultural waste, and sediment influx from the neighboring catchment region. The lake's water quality has declined and does not comply with the stated requirements for drinking or other use. The restoration and rejuvenation of this lake fundamentally need achieving a suitable balance between the town's escalating expectations and the lake's needs. The injection of sewage into these lakes presents a substantial problem concerning their deterioration. In response to these issues, a decentralized wastewater treatment system (DEWATS) has been established to process incoming trash and recycle it for the goal of refilling the lake with treated water. A range of in-lake treatment techniques, including dredging, desilting, the installation of a fountain, landscaping, a cattle and garment washing facility, and community restrooms, enhance the lake's restoration and aesthetic appeal, thereby facilitating urban growth. A reverse osmosis desalination unit is employed to secure potable water, then managing reject water using forward osmosis to produce dissolved nutrients for agricultural applications by extracting waster from reject water. These studies undertaken in India and internationally create a framework for such activities and has the ability to mitigate water shortages experienced at the micro level.