PRITHWE

Prithwe Earthing Centre: Towards becoming Net Zero Campus

Prithwe Earthing Centre is nestled in the picturesque valley carved by the Yelwanti River. Now this place is known more as the backwaters of the Bhatghar dam. The Centre is also in the vicinity of the mighty Rajgad fort.

Local Building Material & Native Helpers

The facility at the Centre is designed considering that local material is given prominence. Locally available basalt / Laterite rock is used for the foundation of the huts and other landscape features. This has also provided employment to the local folks thus letting villagers connect to their own land. Water is judiciously used, it is not polluted, it is recycled and also it is used for ground water recharge after an ecological treatment.?

Water, Electrical & Bio-reactor as Waste management

The black water from the toilets is treated in a bio-reactor, the biological agents in the septic tank consume the human fecal matter and converts it into nutrient rich grey water. This water is further used for irrigating the plants. The flush tanks of the WC are of low discharge. The taps and the showers too have low discharge aerators installed to minimize and effective utilization of precious water. This also helps in reducing the electricity utilization. ?

Utilization of Topography & Sand Filter

A natural slope has been selected for the construction of the facility. This topology has helped in designing ecological infrastructures like the bio-reactor for the toilets and also the bathroom and the hand wash water is treated in a sand filter and the filtered grey water is utilized for irrigating the fruit trees and also other trees in the landscape. To minimize the chemical toxicity in the grey water, the participants use herbal products during their stay at the center.

Generating Natural Fuel, Solar Cooker.

The precious biomass that gets generated in and around the facility is used as mulch for the trees. The extra biomass is converted into fuel briquettes. This has helped in reducing the use of LPG for cooking. A solar cooker is also used for cooking rice, pulses and vegetables on a regular basis.

Composting

The kitchen waste along with trees and ground biomass is converted into rich compost. This compost is further used for growing organic veggies at the institute.

Air Purification

The trees and the greenery around the facility help in reducing the dust and also purify the air. The tree cover helps to create habitats for insects, birds and reptiles.

Rain & Ground Water Recharge

Though Prithwe institute is located in a high rainfall area; the land starts to lose its moisture content from January?onward. The grey water recycling system,?thick tree cover at the institute facilitates to maintain the soil moisture and also recharge the ground water through out the year.