Laboratory Scale Bio Gas Plant

STARTING UP A BIO GAS PLANT

POST NUMBER :08   Date : 02/05/2004
BIO GAS PLANT PROCESS DESCRIPTION:

FLOW CHART: CRUSHER(less than 7mm particle size)----thermophilic Aerobic digester(Temp 55 degree C)---Mesophilic Anaerobic Digester(37 Degree C and pH at 7.5)---Manure Pit

Biotechnology process

stage one : hydrolysis by hydrolytic bactaria, conversion of extracellular molecules

stage two : thermophilic fermentation based on carbohydrates

stage three : synthesis of volatile fatty acids by acetogenic bacteria

stage four : synthesis of methane by methanogenic organisms

STARTING UP A BIO GAS PLANT:

OPERATION OF BIO GAS PLANT

FLOW CHART: CRUSHER(less than 7mm particle size)----thermophilic Aerobic digester(Temp 55 degree C  pH  5.5)---Mesophilic Anaerobic Digester(37 Degree C and pH at 7.5)---Manure Pit

Aspect	Bottlenecks	Remarks
CONTROLS	Check for Gas leaks	Check hood , pipe etc. Monthly checking of leakage by pressure system and or with soap water
	Cow dung slurry	Make slurry of cow dung and fresh water in the ratio 2kg dung 15 liter water (thumb rule 10% dung of water volume). Fill up the bio digester with the slurry.
	Slurry fermentation	Wait for slurry to form gas. It normally takes 3 to ten days.Gas formation can be seen by rising of floating dome or pressure gauge in fixed dome.
	Start of Feeding	Start fresh feeding after formation of gas. Start with small quantity of feed material in 1:1 ratio. After 15 days, start feeding full capacity.
	Complete Release of first gas produced	Gases should be released to the atmosphere at least three  times at a gap of three days each. It may be needed to be released more till methane percentage of 60% reached .Do a sample bio gas test to know exact position of gas produced.
Technical	Improper preparation of influent solids leading to blockage and scum formation	Proper milling and other treatment measures (pre- soaking, adjustment of C/N ratio); removal of inert particles: sand and stone.
	Temperature fluctuations	Careful regulation of temperature through use of incorporation of auxiliary solar heating system.
	Maintenance of pH for optimal growth of Methanogenic bacteria C/N ratio	Appropriate choice of raw material, regulation of C/N ratio and dilution rate. Appropriate mixing of N-rich and N-poor substrates with cellulosic substrates.
	Dilution ratio of influent solids content	Appropriate treatment of raw materials to avoid stratification and scum formation.
	Retention time of slurry	Dependent upon dilution ratio, loading rate, digestion temperature.
	Loading rate	Dependent upon digester size, dilution ratio, digestion temperature.
	Seeding of an appropriate bacterial Population for biogas generation	Development of specific and potent cultures.
	Corrosion of gas holder	Construction from cheap materials (glass fibre, clay, jute-fibre reinforced plastic) and/or regular cleaning and layering with protective materials (e.g., lubricating oil).
	Pin-hole leakages (digester tank, holder, inlet, outlet)	Establishment of "no leak" conditions, use of external protective coating materials (PVC, creosotes
	Occurrence of CO2 reducing calorific value of biogas	Reduction in CO2 content through passage in lime-water
	Occurrence of water condensate in gas supply system (blockage, rusting)	Appropriate drainage system using condensate traps
	Occurrence of H2S leading to corrosion	On a village scale, H2S removed by passing over ferric oxide or iron filings
	Improper combustion	Proper air gas  mixing appliances necessary
	Maintenance of gas supply at constant pressure	Regulation of uniform distribution and use of gas; removal of water condensate from piping systems; appropriate choice of gas holder in terms of weight and capacity
Residue utilization	Risks to health and plant crops resulting from residual accumulation of toxic materials and encysted pathogens	Avoid use of chemical industry effluents; more research on type, nature, and die-off rates of persisting organisms; minimize long transportation period of un-dried effluent
Health	Hazards to human health in transporting night soil and other wastes (gray-water)	Linkage of latrine run-offs into biogas reactors promotes non-manual operations and general aesthetics
Safety	Improper handling and storage of methane	Appropriate measures necessary for plant operation, handling, and storage of biogas through provision of extension and servicing facilities

DO NOT USE eggshells, Onion peels or left-over bones in this system as they will affect the efficient functioning of the system

Hazards: Methane in a concentration of 6 to 15 percent with air is an explosive mixture. Since it is lighter than air, it will collect in rooftops and other enclosed areas. It is relatively odorless and detection may be difficult. Extreme caution and special safety features are necessary in the digester design and storage tank

POSTED BY SALEEM ASRAF SYED IMDAADULLAH AT 5/02/2004 11:13:00 PM

how to make friends on facebook

1. ADD GIRLS YOU THINK ARE CUTE

Spend a couple of hours per week, adding 5 to 10 girls you think are cute or really hot as a friend. Write an intriguing opening line in the “add message” box that pops up.

If you can’t think of anything funny or intriguing to say, just forget the message and add her as a friend anyway. Make sure your photos are up to date – Keep them fresh, like within the last couple of months .No nude girl photos in your album.

2. GET FAMILIAR WITH HER PAGE

Spend 15 minutes skimming through her about page, interests, past wall posts in her timeline and photos. Just get a good understanding of who she is, what she’s about and how she interacts with her friends.This will give you a better overview of her.

3. COMMENT ON NEW PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND STATUS UPDATES

When she posts a new photo, video or status update that you like, comment on it with a funny or positive message. Keep doing this for about 3 weeks, so she becomes familiar with you. Always post a funny comment or don’t post anything at all. Women like funny guys but if you’re always trying to be funny, it can wear thin pretty quickly. So use the funny lines every so often

4. SEND THE FIRST MESSAGE

After you’ve posted a few comments and liked her status updates, photos, videos etc, go ahead and message her to get the ball rolling.

Keep it brief, ask her opinion on something, so that she will likely respond. Women just can’t resist offering advice, it’s like breathing for them.If she responds to every message, it means she like you… so keep it up. Each message should be short and sweet, but you should be trying to connect with her. Try to really understand what she lives for, how she feels, and who she really is. Go with that goal and your conversations will be more interesting and connected.

Your personal space is your personal space. Respect it.NEVER SHARE PERSONAL THINGS ON FACEBOOK. A rule of thumb is to announce in FACEBOOK only the positive - a new job, a celebration or new degree. Steer clear of washing dirty linen in public. Do not talk about your bad day at work , about your boss , client or your unpleasant marriage. Remember: 500 friends of friends do not need to know.

bio gas design NABARD

bio gas design NABARD

http://www.nabard.org/modelbankprojects/biogas.asp

Funding Agencies in India

http://nird.ap.nic.in/clic/funding.html

 

 

https://www.wachovia.com/

 

 

online bio gas calculator

http://www.anaerobic-digestion.com/html/biogas_calculator.php

Correct timing to take water.

 

Saleem Asraf Syed Imdaadullah,
M.E.(Env. Engg.)
Mobile: 9899300371
New Delhi, India
TECHNICAL BLOG : LOTS OF INFO ON WATER TREATMENT
www.saleemindia.blogspot.com
www.vermisindia.blogspot.com
 

 

Correct timing to take water will maximize its effectiveness to Human body. Two (02) glasses  of water - After waking up -  Helps activate internal organs    One (01) glass of water  - 30 minutes before meal - Help digestion One (01) glass of water - Before taking a bath - Helps lower blood pressure  One (01) glass of water - Before sleep  - To avoid stroke or heart attack Please pass this to the people you know about.......

--
ENJOY LIFE!!

SMS TO DONATE IS BORN TODAY ...http://smstodonate.webs.com/

http://smstodonate.webs.com/

I was taking my evening walk. It was one of those days when i could not help someone. I was wondering that there was so much pain in the world. Ever since i had started IBD there were many people who would contact me for help Blood, Financial Help, Organs Donation for a near and dear one . I would see children who were intelligent did not have access to books. Patients needed medicines but did not have access to medical care. Destitutes did not have food to eat . Nor clothes to wear. There were so many who had everything in the world but still wanted more. I wished i could make a difference in the lives of the underpriveleged. I thought that if i was as rich as Mr Mukesh Ambani or Mr Laxmi Mittal ( i really dont know why this thought struck me, may be because they are the richest Indians) i could change the face of India and maybe help so many people. But i could not do that i was not Mr Mukesh Ambani or Mr Laxmi Mittal. I felt very helpless that i did not have the resources to reach out to so many people which i wanted to.

Ting Ting..Ting Ting. I had received an SMS on my mobile. I checked up the SMS. It was another of the Santa Banta sms Jokes. I wondered why people waste so much money . If only they used their resources for some constructive use....Hey i thought can i use mobile technology to some good use. Can i ask people to send a sms towards a cause and donate the cost of the SMS to a cause. Can i motivate people to donate ?

 

 

Saleem Asraf Syed Imdaadullah,
M.E.(Env. Engg.)
Mobile: 9899300371
New Delhi, India

 

TECHNICAL BLOG :
 
 
Working Manual On Water & Waste Water Treatment
www.saleemindia.blogspot.com

 

 
 
Vermi Composting, Bio Gas, In Vessel Composting
www.vermisindia.blogspot.com

Sewage system pact a boost for Yamuna cleanup

New Delhi: You might finally see the Yamuna flowing ceaselessly, free of stench and squalour. The drive to clean the river by 2010 Commonwealth Games got another fillip on Monday when Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Engineers India Limited (EIL) formally signed a contract for the ambitious interceptor sewage system. This paves way for EIL to begin work on the project, two months after it was granted permission by the Cabinet. ''The signing of the contract only formalizes the process which had been underway for the past two months. EIL's ground study will be over in another six months after which work will start,'' DJB CEO Arun Mathur said. The Rs 4,000-crore scheme is the best option with the government to get the river clean in time for the Games, he said. The system proposes the laying of interceptor drains along the three main drains in the city — Najafgarh, Shahdara and Supplementary. The interceptors will trap sewage from all small drains and carry it to sewage treatment plants before emptying it into the main drains. Mathur said that the system would also ensure that even when 15,000 unauthorized colonies are not connected to the sewage system — the work on these should take about 25 years — their waste would be picked up by the interceptor system that would take it to the sewage treatment plant. DJB also intends cutting down costs on the project by making the interceptors only on one side of the drain. For smaller drains, trenchless technology would be used to carry the untreated water to the interceptor from under the main drain. The Bela Road and Ring Road trunk sewers will be rehabilitated so that sewage from the 13 drains emptying into it is taken to the Okhla plant for treatment before being emptied into the river. Reacting to criticism that DJB would only add more drains to its already unmanageable infrastructure, the official added: ''We are looking at a maintenance contract where the organisation that lays the drain will be responsible for its cleaning.''

 

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=CAP&login=default

 

Techie builds air-car!entrepreneur from Guwahati, Assam

Bangalore: Kanak Gogoi, a 12th passed entrepreneur from Guwahati, has over a dozen innovations, from gravity-operated bicycle to a car which can run on air. But he regrets the government's negligence towards scientific innovations, and refuses to commercialize any of his creations.

Gogoi said, "Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offered to build a fully furnished lab for me in Guwahati. The Chief Minister had granted me about 1.6 acres of land in 2007, but the file is still lying untouched at the local administrative office." 

Talking about slow moving files, another of Gogoi's invention is the speed breaker that can generate electricity simply when vehicles pass over it.

 

Source : http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Indian_techie_builds_aircar_Refuses_commercialization-nid-63190.html

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Sleep and Heart Attacks - What Killed Ranjan Das CEO SAP

If you have trouble sleeping, make your bedroom a haven for slumber. Paint your walls in cool blues. Ditch the TV and the laptop from bed room. Try to sleep eight hours each night -- you're doing your heart a big favor

 

Subject: Sleep and Heart Attacks - What Killed Ranjan Das CEO SAP

Let's sleep more. I scored a 10 in the Sleepiness Test which is not good at all.   What killed Ranjan Das and Lessons for Corporate India   A month ago, many of us heard about the sad demise of Ranjan Das from Bandra, Mumbai. Ranjan, just 42 years of age, was the CEO of SAP-Indian Subcontinent, the youngest CEO of an MNC in India. He was very active in sports, was a fitness freak and a marathon runner. It was common to see him run on Bandra's Carter Road. Just after Diwali, on 21st Oct, he returned home from his gym after a workout, collapsed with a massive heart attack and died. He is survived by his wife and two very young kids.                                                         It was certainly a wake-up call for corporate India. However, it was even more disastrous for runners amongst us. Since Ranjan was an avid marathoner (in Feb 09, he ran Chennai Marathon at the same time some of us were running Pondicherry Marathon 180 km away), the question came as to why an exceptionally active, athletic person succumb to heart attack at 42 years of age.   Was it the stress? A couple of you called me asking about the reasons. While Ranjan had mentioned that he faced a lot of stress, that is a common element in most of our lives. We used to think that by being fit, one can conquer the bad effects of stress. So I doubted if the cause was stress.   The Real Reason However, everyone missed out a small line in the reports that Ranjan used to make do with 4-5 hours of sleep. This is an earlier interview of Ranjan on NDTV in the program 'Boss' Day Out': http://connect.in.com/ranjan-das/play-video-boss-day-out-ranjan-das-of-sap-india-229111-807ecfcf1ad966036c289b3ba6c376f2530d7484.html Here he himself admits that he would love to get more sleep (and that he was not proud of his ability to manage without sleep, contrary to what others extolled).   The Evidence Last week, I was working with a well-known cardiologist on the subject of 'Heart Disease caused by Lack of Sleep'. While I cannot share the video nor the slides because of confidentiality reasons, I have distilled the key points below in the hope it will save some of our lives.   Some Excerpts:   ·        Short sleep duration (<5 or 5-6 hours) increased risk for high BP by 350% to 500% compared to those who slept longer than 6 hours per night. Paper published in 2009. As you know, high BP kills.   ·        Young people (25-49 years of age) are twice as likely to get high BP if they sleep less. Paper published in 2006.   ·        Individuals who slept less than 5 hours a night had a 3-fold increased risk of heart attacks. Paper published in 1999.   ·        Complete and partial lack of sleep increased the blood concentrations of High sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-cRP), the strongest predictor of heart attacks. Even after getting adequate sleep later, the levels stayed high!!   ·        Just one night of sleep loss increases very toxic substances in body such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (cRP). They increase risks of many medical conditions, including cancer, arthritis andheart disease. Paper published in 2004.   ·        Sleeping for <=5 hours per night leads to 39% increase in heart disease. Sleeping for <=6 hours per night leads to 18% increase in heart disease. Paper published in 2006.   Ideal Sleep For lack of space, I cannot explain here the ideal sleep architecture. But in brief, sleep is composed of two stages: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM. The former helps in mental consolidation while the latter helps in physical repair and rebuilding. During the night, you alternate between REM and non-REM stages 4-5 times.   The earlier part of sleep is mostly non-REM. During that period, your pituitary gland releases growth hormones that repair your body. The latter part of sleep is more and more REM type.   For you to be mentally alert during the day, the latter part of sleep is more important. No wonder when you wake up with an alarm clock after 5-6 hours of sleep, you are mentally irritable throughout the day (lack of REM sleep). And if you have slept for less than 5 hours, your body is in a complete physical mess (lack of non-REM sleep), you are tired throughout the day, moving like a zombie and your immunity is way down (I've been there, done that L)   Finally, as long-distance runners, you need an hour of extra sleep to repair the running related damage.   If you want to know if you are getting adequate sleep, take Epworth Sleepiness Test below.     Interpretation: Score of 0-9 is considered normal while 10 and above abnormal. Many a times, I have clocked 21 out the maximum possible 24, the only saving grace being the last situation, since I don't like to drive (maybe, I should ask my driver to answer that lineJ) In conclusion: Barring stress control, Ranjan Das did everything right: eating proper food, exercising (marathoning!), maintaining proper weight. But he missed getting proper and adequate sleep, minimum 7 hours. In my opinion, that killed him. If you are not getting enough sleep (7 hours), you are playing with fire, even if you have low stress. I always took pride in my ability to work 50 hours at a stretch whenever the situation warranted. But I was so spooked after seeing the scientific evidence last week that since Saturday night, I ensure I do not even set the alarm clock under 7 hours. Now, that is a nice excuse to get some more sleep. J   Unfortunately, Ranjan Das is not alone when it comes to missing sleep. Many of us are doing exactly the same, perhaps out of ignorance. Please forward this mail to as many of your colleagues as possible, especially those who might be short-changing their sleep. If we can save even one young life because of this email, I would be the happiest person on earth.   Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks article: Bryant, Charles W. "How are sleep and heart disease related?." 03 September 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/sleep-and-heart-disease.htm> 11 November 2009. Inside this Article How are sleep and heart disease related? Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Heart Lots More Information See all Sleep articles Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Heart There's an old joke among doctors that the function of sleep is to cure sleepiness. Despite an abundance of research, we still aren't sure exactly why we sleep. But we know we need to. Recent studies indicate that too much or too little sleep can be a factor in developing heart disease, just like smoking and packing on the pounds. A 10-year study performed by Harvard University tracked the sleep habits and health of more than 70,000 women between the ages of 45 and 65 that had no previous history of heart disease. In the end, 934 of these women suffered from coronary heart disease and 271 died from it. The researchers accounted for factors like age, weight and whether they smoked, then looked at the subjects' sleep patterns. Five percent of the women slept less than five hours per night. Those women were nearly 40 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease than women who slept an average of eight hours. Women who slept more than nine hours per night were 37 percent more likely to have heart trouble. Previous studies have shown similar results for men. Short-term sleep deprivation is known to raise blood pressure and stress hormones, lower glucose tolerance and even lead to irregular heartbeats. All of these factors are precursors to coronary disease. Chronic sleep deprivation promotes weight gain and diabetes, both of which can send you to the emergency room grabbing your chest. Going without enough sleep also affects the functioning of the lining inside the blood vessels and can cause some low-grade inflammation that could lead to heart disease. Sleep apnea is another problem. This is a condition that makes your airway temporarily collapse when you sleep, forcing you to wake up and resume breathing. This makes for fitful sleep at best. Research has shown that people with sleep apnea also show marked increases in their blood pressure over the years. They also have a higher level of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) action. The SNS controls the heart rate and the constriction of the blood vessels. If you don't have sleep apnea, shortly after you fall asleep, your blood pressure and SNS activity will slowly fall. This can't happen when you're waking up at regular intervals to resume breathing. If you think you're in the clear because you're a young whipper-snapper, think again. Teens that sleep less than 6.5 hours per night are more than twice as likely to get high blood pressure [source: AHA]. When you consider that teens average roughly seven hours of sleep when they require nine, it's clear that kids need to put down that Guitar Hero axe, shut off the iPhone and catch some Zs. Now for the good news. If you want to eliminate this factor from whether you develop heart disease, all you need to do is go beddy-bye for eight hours. There are other factors, like what you eat and how much you exercise, but this one is taken care of by doing something most people love to do -- sleep. Doctors even believe that 30-minute naps a few times a week can improve your health, and many forward-thinking companies are outfitting their buildings with nap rooms. If you have trouble sleeping, make your bedroom a haven for slumber. Paint your walls in cool blues. Ditch the TV and the laptop. Try to sleep eight hours each night -- you're doing your heart a big favor   Dr.Asim Rasheed IMPORTANT NOTICE: The information in this email (and any attachments) is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify me by "Reply" command and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. Although this email and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free and no responsibility is accepted by American International Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries or affiliates either jointly or severally, for any loss or damage arising in any way from its use.

 

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CHRIS VERGHESE
BAM International Dubai, UAE
P.O. Box 25685
Tel (R.O.): 00971  4  3391655
Fax(R.O.): 00971  4  3392884
CELL:       00971 50 4430815
 

 

Witness magazine-India's first magazine on legal and corporate affairs...PLASTIC BAN

Kanupriya Malhotra

Guest Editor

Witness Magazine

 

Dear Madam,

 

The menace of plastic is welknown, but it is getting difficult to remove the menace. There is only one reason why plastic bags are still in circulation, because the alternatives like paper bags are not as handy and durable as a plastic bag.

If you can come out with an alternative that is better than a plastic bag , than why not our public will accept it. Before enforcing a ban, you have to first provide an alternative that is cheap and durable . India is a cost conscious country. So the concepts prevailing abroad will not be applicable here. So we cant blindly follow the western concepts here (Which is the normal attitude of our govt.).

 

So, what to do?

 

1. Run a public awerness campaign vigorously

2. Find out a better, cheap and durable  alternative to the plastic bag .

3. Teaching People to segregate their solid waste at home itself by separating plastics from the bio degradable solid waste (Food Waste).This aspect is more important than trying to ban plastic bags . Lets us try to do something that is achievable.

 

 

Saleem Asraf Syed Imdaadullah,
M.E.(Env. Engg.)
Mobile: 9899300371
New Delhi, India
CROSSED ONE LAC VISITOR MARK : TECHNICAL BLOG : LOTS OF INFO ON WATER TREATMENT
www.saleemindia.blogspot.com

 

 

 

www.vermisindia.blogspot.com

 

 

-----

Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:17 PM

Subject: Seeking opinion on Plastic Ban

Sir,

 

I am writing to you on behalf of Witness magazine-India's first magazine on legal and corporate affairs.

 

We are seeking opinions on the following issue in around 300-350 words.  

 

Issue: We, the people of India, believe in fighting our rights to the hilt. However, when the same rights take the shape of laws, do we care to be instrumental in its implementation?

 

Various laws have remained merely on papers and find no place in actual practice. Have we become skeptics, who crib and criticise the government for each and every lapse on its part, but fail to check our own deficiency? Is public apathy hampering the implementation of laws?

 

For instance, smoking in public places is banned but we notice people smoking openly in public places without any resistance. List of such lawlessness is countless: talking on mobile while driving, dowry in marriages, child labour, jumping red light signals are but a few examples.

 

Are not as the citizens of the world's largest democracy, there is a responsibility on our shoulder to set an example by abiding laws without being enforced by the law enforcement agencies? Have we become immune to all the wrong doings that have been taking place right in front of us? Is it due to the human tendency of not acting without a stick? Is it an attitude that if others are doing an illegal act without getting caught, then why not us or if others are not resisting an illegal act from happening then why should we? Is it public indifference or administrative failure?

 

Since you are specialising in environmental activities, if you can give your opinion on the ban on plastic bans being flouted on a very wide scale and the suggestions to make it really work, we will incorporate it in our magazine.

 

Thanking you.

 

Regards,

 

Kanupriya Malhotra

Guest Editor

Witness Magazine

No more fraud auto fares: Thanks to Latlong

Bangalore: In a city like Bangalore several commuters depend on the autorickshaws to travel from one place to another, but not always do they get to pay the correct fare as sometimes they are demanded extra money by the drivers. Now with a technology developed by Onze Technologies,a location based services firm, a commuter can verify the fares demanded by the drivers with an automatic SMS telling what they should be paying for the distance traveled. The company is led by four former Infosys engineers - Sudarshan H.S., Pavaman Athani, Sairam Rajamani and Rahul R.S. 

Using this service called 'Latlong' people can text message the area from which they start their journey with their destination, to receive an instant message on the fare they must pay, reports Deccan Chronicle. "Latlong provides information on the approximate autorickshaw fare and the distance in kilometers. This allows the user to check the exact distance travelled and confirm if the meter reading is accurate. The service has been a hit. We have received nearly 50,000 SMSes so far," says Sudarshan, CEO of Onze, the firm which has come out with the concept.

So successful has been the service that the Onze is now looking at launching Latlong in other cities as well. "We will be launching the service in Chennai soon," says Sudarshan. For using this service the commuters need to send their message to 9008890088.

source:http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/No_more_fraud_autorickshaw_fares_Thanks_to_exInfy_techies_-nid-62827.html

Water ...This will be a big and growing market for a long time

Freshwater Becoming More Scarce
The United Nations estimates that by 2050 more than two billion people in 48 countries will lack sufficient water. Approximately 97 percent to 98 percent of the water on planet Earth is saltwater (the estimates vary slightly depending on the source). Much of the remaining freshwater is frozen in glaciers or the polar ice caps. Lakes, rivers and groundwater account for about 1 percent of the world's potentially usable freshwater.

If global warming continues to melt glaciers in the polar regions, as expected, the supply of freshwater may actually decrease. First, freshwater from the melting glaciers will mingle with saltwater in the oceans and become too salty to drink. Second, the increased ocean volume will cause sea levels to rise, contaminating freshwater sources along coastal regions with seawater.

Complicating matters even further is that 95 percent of the world's cities continue to dump raw sewage into rivers and other freshwater supplies, making them unsafe for human consumption.

The Need for Freshwater is Increasing Rapidly
Yet, while freshwater supplies are at best static, and at worst decreasing, the world's population is growing rapidly. The United Nations estimates that the world population—approximately 6.5 billion in 2006—will grow to 9.4 billion by 2050.

The cost of water is usually set by government agencies and local regulators. Water isn't traded on commodity exchanges, but many utilities stocks are publicly traded. Meanwhile, investments in companies that provide desalinization, and other processes and technologies that may increase the world's supply of freshwater, are growing rapidly.

Companies Investing in Water
General Electric Chairman Jeffrey Immelt said the scarcity of clean water around the world will more than double GE's revenue from water purification and treatment by 2010—to a total of $5 billion.

GE's strategy is for its water division to invest in desalinization and purification in countries that have a shortage of freshwater. Saudi Arabia is expected to invest more than $80 billion in desalinization plants and sewer facilities by 2025 to meet the needs of its growing population. And while China is home to 20 percent of the world's people, only 7 percent of the planet's freshwater supply is located there.

"This will be a big and growing market for a long time," Immelt said at the GE annual meeting in Philadelphia in April 2006.