Access to clean water is a necessity, and the availability of the resource varies greatly worldwide. According to a team of students studying the issue, in places like Pakistan, groundwater is a vital source of water that is vulnerable to depletion and contamination. When water is scarce, any access is important. This does not take into account the quality of the water which can be detrimental to human and environmental health.
“Having water is a very big blessing. [People] don’t care about the quality, they just need water to be available to go about their daily routines,” explains Dr. Faisal Karim Shaikh, a professor at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), in Jamshoro, Pakistan. Dr. Shaikh is the project lead. “In these areas, we have noticed a rise in skin and stomach diseases. A major cause has been water contamination. There are also a lot of factories in these areas, whose run-off is mixing in with the groundwater and contaminating it further.”
Pakistan could be coming upon a groundwater crisis, which would devastate the population and the agriculture that they rely on. The team found that there is a gap in knowledge and education about this issue as well, meaning those living in these potential droughts might not be able to take steps to prevent disaster.
Sensors to Improve Communities
A team of students from IEEE Communications Society Karachi Chapter at MUET has joined with the Mashriq Foundation to create a solution that is centered around an Internet of Things (IoT) device that measures the level and quality of groundwater.
The IoT sensors monitor environmental factors such as humidity, light, temperature, and pressure. They also monitor the groundwater itself, including the water flow, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and conductivity. The sensors also monitor the aquifers, including their pressure, depth of the water, and barometric pressure. “We can continuously gather and analyze data on groundwater quality, and other important characteristics by setting up a network of Internet of Things devices and sensors.” says Hina Akhlaque, a Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunication student. “The early discovery of problems like contamination and over-extraction will be improved by this real-time monitoring.”
The team also emphasizes the importance of community education and outreach. They hosted two workshops: one to provide training in sustainable use of water, and the other to teach about the benefits of emerging technologies, and how they can improve the wellbeing of people. They also highlighted the role of EPICS in IEEE in their process and in global communities.
The IoT sensors will also be used to predict future groundwater levels, which can assist in proper planning for drought. “Overall, the project will contribute to the long-term sustainability of
water resources for future generations,” says Zain who has completed the Master of Engineering Thesis in this area.
The rural location of these sensors makes cellular data and WiFi connectivity scarce. To address this concern, the team designed a wireless communications system across sites for data transmission to the cloud. This allows for a long-term and sustainable way to plan for proper water management, says Akhlaque.
The team collaborated with the Mashriq Foundation. This foundation works in rural Sindh, helping villages after floods, helping with hospital waste management, and with installing water pumps and tubes, which helped with this project.
IEEE Volunteers were also an instrumental part of this project. “IEEE volunteers played an important role not only to provide insights to NGO people but also to make the community aware about clean water practices and sustainable usage of the precious resource,” says Amjad Shaikh, who is affiliated with the NGO.
An Opportunity for Real World Learning
The team of students gained tremendous technical skills from their time and experience with this project, especially with sensors. “The students learned how to use and integrate a sensor,” says Hasfa Talpur, a PhD candidate and coordinator of students and volunteers. “But they also learned how to access remote areas and coordinate with team members. They learned how to give lectures on clean water and spread awareness, and how to write articles. They’ve learned a lot from this project.”
“Applying programming concepts in the real world was impressive for the students, and it was fun.” added Dr. Shaikh.
This project has also assisted students in completing graduate-level work, especially for Zain’s masters and Talpur’s PhD work, as well as other students on the project completing their Bachelor of Engineering in Telecom, Computer Systems, and Electronics. “This project has helped me in my professional life. I have written my initial PhD proposal related to this project, and I have my PhD scholarship for which I will soon be traveling abroad,” says Talpur.
Going forward, the team hopes to expand their project to other villages and will continue to remotely monitor the devices.
This project received a $9,500 grant from EPICS in IEEE and the committee is thrilled with the work and community outreach done by this team.
Recent Comments