Dayalbagh: An Eco-Village

A Wikipedia article defines Eco-Villages as "... traditional or intentional community with the goal of becoming more socially, culturally, economically, and ecologically sustainable. It is consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes to regenerate and restore its social and natural environments".

A tree-laden road within Dayalbagh

The article further states, "Eco-villagers are united by shared ecological, social-economic and cultural-spiritual values. Concretely, eco-villagers seek alternatives to ecologically destructive electrical, water, transportation, and waste-treatment systems, as well as the larger social systems that mirror and support them. Many see the breakdown of traditional forms of community, wasteful consumerist lifestyles, the destruction of natural habitat, urban sprawl, factory farming, and over-reliance on fossil fuels as trends that must be changed to avert ecological disaster and create richer and more fulfilling ways of life".


And what better example of an eco-village than Dayalbagh. Dayalbagh is more like a small town, with 2,500+ permanent residents, the population increasing manifold during Basant, Holi and Bhandara weeks with the influx of pilgrims. Additionally, its way of life thinking and practices influence the communities around Dayalbagh.

Our post below is on practices followed in Dayalbagh, the eco-village.

Go green,
Anurag

Dayalbagh, an eco-village

Eco-villages are urban or rural communities of people who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life. To achieve this, they integrate various aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy, community building practices, and much more. Eco-villages are living models of sustainability. They represent an effective, accessible way to combat the degradation of our social, ecological, and spiritual environments.

Dayalbagh is an eco-village/city, quiet and peaceful with a largely self-sustaining agricultural production, water harvesting and increasing use of renewable solar energy.

Prem Nagar, a Mohalla in Dayalbagh

Education, agriculture and industries prosper in harmonious and ecologically sustainable manner. Dayalbagh is greener and more sustainable since its foundation in 1915, even though its population has increased. Dayalbagh’s eco-development, presents an admirable combination of material and spiritual development. It represents a classic case of self-sustained eco-friendly existence of human settlement in close harmony with the nature.

Activities

Self-Governance

Civic affairs are managed through a committee of elected representatives under the overall supervision and control of a primary committee. The eco-village is divided into mohallas, with each having a Sarpanch and Panches for different activities of the mohallas.  Honorary services are imparted by the residents of the village.

Water and Electricity Supply

Water supply to the village is provided through tube wells. To sustain ground water levels, rain water harvesting schemes have been implemented. For electricity needs the village bulk purchases are made from M/S Torrent Power Ltd. To ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, the village also has its own back up generation facility. There is also an increasing use of solar power. Solar powered lights have been installed in open spaces within and outside the village in selected areas and also for street lighting. Solar power units are installed in all institutional buildings. Moreover, to reduce power consumption, LED lights are used to the maximum possible extent.

Renewable Power at Dayalbagh

Renewable Power in Cooking Applications

Community Kitchen
Bhandar Ghar is the Rasoi (Kitchen) which prepares lunch and dinner for the residents of the Dayalbagh colonies and for the visitors.


The raw material like wheat, rice, lentils, mustard oil, vegetables including potatoes and onions are grown and produced in the Dayalbagh fields with selfless service of the Dayalbagh Residents and Visitors. The Bhandar Ghar has minimal number of regular staff and the major part of the operation is supported by teams of volunteers in the age group of 18 to 90 yrs.

Bhandar Ghar: The Community Kitchen

Sewage and Garbage Disposal

There is a regular sewage system and garbage disposal. Garbage disposal includes segregation of biodegradable (kitchen waste) and non-biodegradable waste at each house of the village. There are well established treatment facilities for effluents. Treated water is used for irrigation.

Aeration Ponds

Security and Surveillance

Safety and Security of the colony is maintained by day and night patrolling (pehra) in shifts by the residents. Community policing through watch and ward department is performed for safeguarding public property. Most recently, CCTV cameras have been installed at various locations in the village which are also monitored by the residents.

The streets are patrolled by Residents at Night

Educational Hub

Education from the pre-nursery to the Ph.D. level and beyond is imparted through DEI. Additionally, the village has a School of Languages to teach regional and foreign languages, a School of Art and Culture to provide training in music, dance and handicrafts, a Tailoring school for empowerment of women from the weaker sections of the society, an Indian Music Training Center and a School of Dress Designing and Interior Decoration. A Day Boarding School has also been set up to provide special tutorial teaching to the students of under privileged families who do not have adequate facilities at home.

Primary School in Dayalbagh

Economical Agriculture and Farming

The topography of the land was initially dominated by ravines, low mounds, patches of rocks and stones and alkaline soil, sand dunes and patches of reeds and weeds, lying as waste-land. Since 1942 under the ‘Grow more food’ campaign, the uneven and unproductive barren lands have gradually been made suitable for cultivation. Today, in the Dayalbagh area, there are nearly 1531 acres of agricultural farms where cereals, pulses, oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, cash crops (potato, sugarcane, etc.) and fodder are cultivated. Farming activities are eco-friendly and based on organic farming techniques that helps in soil conservation and enrichment.

Residents, Students and Pilgrims performing Agriculture work

Both traditional and modern agricultural practices are adopted here. Agriculture is supplemented by Gaushala wastes for meeting out its manure requirement. Cooperative efforts are made in performing different agricultural activities and no chemical substances like insecticides, fungicides, weedicides or chemical fertilizers are used. The agricultural produce of Dayalbagh is sufficient to meet the requirement of the residents and the pilgrims who come for short visits.

Fodder for the Cattle at Dayalbagh Dairy

Horticulture

Horticultural activities are practiced in Dayalbagh: there are orchards of mango, Jack fruit (Artocarpus spp.), Guava (Psidium) and various citrus species along with many other fruit trees to provide large canopy cover as well as a supply of some fruit.

Healthy Diet: Horticulture - Kinnow Plantation

Cattle Yard and Dairy

Dayalbagh has its own cattle yard with over 800 head of cattle which fulfills the milk requirement of the residents. Its fodder requirements are met internally round the year. Animal waste is recycled and used as manure in fields. The dairy produces pasteurized milk and several milk products employing the most advanced techniques. These products are also sent outside the country.

Retirement Home for Older Cattle

Green Belt

The construction of green-belts has been an important feature of land use planning in Dayalbagh. These are in the form of a tree corridor all along the Yamuna river bank, in agricultural and farming areas, and, areas earmarked for timber plantation.

Ecology and Biodiversity in the Green Belt

The western part of Dayalbagh eco-village has triangular patches of dense plantations reaching the bank of the Yamuna. While most of the uneven land has been leveled and converted into well-formed green fields, in some areas the uneven topography remains. This area is being used for cultivating crops such as taramira, growing trees such as amla and some timber plantation. An orchard of citrus fruits has also been established in this area.

Two species, Prosopis and Acacia are also maintained in the region.

Waste Treatment: Composting

In Dayalbagh, domestic waste is mostly organic, and each member of the population produces approximately 200 kg of organic solid waste per year. Other sources include garden litter and wastes from dairy sheds, etc. The residents segregate the wastes into biodegradable and non-biodegradable material which is collected: pooled biodegradable wastes are directly sent to composting sites while non-biodegradable materials are sent to recycling points.

Transport

The most popular modes of transport in the area are bicycles and cycle rickshaws; efforts are on restrict the number of fossil-fuel driven vehicles in this area to reduce congestion and to accompanying noise and air pollution. Within the Dayalbagh colony, transport is provided by electric vehicles and rickshaws.

Electric Vehicle, ready to ferry Residents and Visitors

Dayalbagh has grown into a center of high spiritual, academic and moral values and has provided solace, satisfaction, peace and enlightenment to its residents and visitors who come in thousands seeking inner and outer peace.