Rainwater Harvesting

It is said that World War III will not be fought for territories and geographic dominance, but it will be fought solely on the basis of water. This may sound unbelievable to citizens of developed nations. However, in a nation like India, there are already daily battles being waged by projects, individuals for access to this precious research.

India which almost completely depends on the annual monsoon season for water, currently faces the most severe water water crisis in its known history. A recent report by NITI Aaykg predicts that as many as 21 cities in the country will see total depletion of their groundwater resources by as early as 2020. Even today, our cities run like dry clockwork during summers. Neverthless there is not awareness raised about the simple solution of rainwater harvesting in India. Can we really afford to neglect this straightforward solution?

Let’s discuss what exactly is rainwater harvesting. It is the collection of rainwater rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected and stored in reservoirs or boreholes that allow percolation and increase of  the underground water table. However, this rainwater can also be purified and then used in domestic households and agricultural practices.

In Chennai, rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory and fresh design structures have been incorporated into the Tamil Nadu Combined Developemnt and Building Rules, 2019.

In rural Maharashtra,  Shirpur-once a drought stricken area-has literally turned green due to adoption of rainwater harvesting.

Major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad do have laws regarding rainwater harvesting. For example, in Bangalore, law states that every structure built on 30×40 Sq feet and above and old buildings built on 40 x 60 Sq feet and above should install rainwater harvesting systems.  In case any building fails to do so, a penalty will be faced every month.

However, it is not good enough for these rules to exist just on paper. If the concerned authorities fail to check regularly to ensure their on ground implementation, rules for harvesting won’t hold value.

State governments can popularize rainwater harvesting by launching awareness drives, not just in urban areas but in rural areas as well. This can be done by incentivising housing societies that do comply, such as offering a rebate on property tax for installing the system.

But in situations like these, joint efforts need to take place. We all are citizens of this country, hence its our duty to ensure that we preserve our environment and the planet. Even if it is not given in the law, people can consciously work towards installation of rainwater harvesting systems in their building or even in their locality if they get the right kind of support.

In rural areas, rooftop water harvesting is the most easy solution. It is seen as a basic, inexpensive method for requiring minimum expertise for implementation. This is ideal for supplementing existing water sources which may become brackish or polluted.

We need to act soon, before our water resources get completely dried up. Water is slowly becoming a rare resource in many areas of the country, and this cannot happen-or India will eventually lose it’s own water wars.