Rainwater Harvesting

Wastage and shortage go hand in hand. Today, our excessive and unrestrained wastage of water has acute ramifications, which are indeed alarming. Water shortage is becoming a part and parcel of our life today. This is also due to the population explosion and the use of water for industrial purposes, due to which, the existing water resources cannot satisfy the needs of the public. As ecologists fret, and with good reason, over this grave issue, rainwater harvesting could save us from the impending water crisis.

Case Studies
BPCL Housing Society, Noida
This housing society is one of the many that has recently benefitted from rainwater harvesting. Their project utilises approximately 85 per cent of the total runoff, ie 44,50,000 litres and the entire investment amounts to Rs.4.5 lakh. The rainwater collected from the rooftops as well as from the ground is diverted into recharge wells where it is passed through filters. This water is then used for the varied needs of the residents of the society.

Shri Ram High School
This school definitely practices what it preaches. It not only teaches its students how to safeguard the environment, but it has also implemented a rainwater harvesting system. The rooftop rainwater is harvested and then stored in a tank after filtration. The system was implemented in May 2000 and has collected a total of 18,90,000 litres of rainwater, costing a total of `1.25 lakh.

Tihar Jail, New Delhi
Tihar Jail is a very unique jail since it implements the use of a rainwater harvesting system. The rooftop rainwater from the buildings and the surface runoff from the open areas of the jail is collected in a storage tank. This system collects about 12,80,000 litres of rainwater. The total cost incurred is as minimal as Rs. 20,000.

Shri Aurobindo Ashram, New Delhi
In this campus, the rainwater from various catchments, including the rooftop and surface runoff from open areas is harvested. The harvesting is done over a large area including various structures that are a part of the ashram like Mirambika school, Mother’s International School, Tapasya building and the office block too. The total water harvested is 163,65,879 litres and the cost of the system is Rs. 4 lakh due to the large area over which the mechanism exists.

Hero Motocorp
The rooftop rainwater from the administrative building, the New Time office, the dispensary, the canteen, the R&D centre and the Export & Dispatch buildings, the Newly Constructed Gears & Shaft section and the New Aluminum Phase is collected and stored in recharge wells constructed at different locations in the factory premises after filtration. Totally, around 54,41,720 litres of rainwater has been harvested at a total cost of Rs.12 lakhs.

Volume 2 Issue 1