Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a simple method by which rainfall is collected for future usage. The collected rainwater may be stored, utilised in different ways or directly used for recharge purposes. With depleting groundwater levels and fluctuating climate conditions, RWH can go a long way to help mitigate these effects. Capturing the rainwater can help recharge local aquifers, reduce urban flooding and most importantly ensure water availability in water-scarce zones. Though the term seems to have picked up greater visibility in the last few years, it was, and is even today, a traditional practice followed in rural India. Some ancient rainwater harvesting methods followed in India include madakas, ahar pynes, surangas, taankas and many more.

This water conservation method can be easily practiced in individual homes, apartments, parks, offices and temples too, across the world. Farmers have recharged their dry borewells, created water banks in drought areas, greened their farms, increased sustainability of their water resources and even created a river. Technical know how for the rooftop RWH with direct storage can be availed for better implementation. RWH An effective method in water scarce times, it is also an easily doable practice. Practical advice is available in books written by Indukanth Ragade & Shree Padre, talks by Anupam Mishra and other easy to follow fun ways

Read our FAQ on Rainwater Harvesting and have many basic questions answered.

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Featured Articles
September 21, 2022 The unique design and functioning of the Chakla bavdi in Chanderi Madhya Pradesh is another example of the water wisdom of our ancestors, which needs to be conserved and passed on to the future generations.
Chakla Bavdi at Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (Image Source: Shirole, S. 2022. Architectural eloquence: Water harvesting structure in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (India). Ancient Asia, 13: 9, pp. 1–13)
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Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
July 11, 2022 The Chauka system of Rajasthan can not only provide a sustainable way to manage water resources in water stressed regions, but also support livelihoods through development of pastures.
Can greening of barren lands happen? (Image Source: India Water Portal Flickr photos)
March 21, 2022 Recognizing women's accumulated knowledge and adaptive capacities in springshed management
Van Panchayat Samiti discussing the matters related to forest (Image: Varun Raja)
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Charkhari talab in Bundelkhand (Image: IWP Flickr)
Kerala and Karnataka's lesser known rainwater harvesting structures
Madakas are being replaced more and more by borewells. Efforts need to be made to restore these structures, create awareness, and preserve local knowledge. Posted on 16 Oct, 2012 03:09 PM

Madakas are one of the fast disappearing traditional rainwater harvesting structures found in the laterite belts of Karnataka and Kerala. They are naturally occuring depressions with high terrain on the three sides where water from the surrounding laterite slopes, mainly runoff from the rains, is accumulated.

Madakas: Water harvesting structures in Kerala and Karnataka
Artificial glaciers- a Tedx talk by Chewang Norphel
In the cold deserts of Ladakh, people are dependent on meltwater from glaciers to meet their needs Posted on 16 Oct, 2012 02:57 PM

Climate change however, has resulted in several of these local glaciers drying up. Chewang Norphel, a civil engineer, has pioneered the concept of creating artificial 'glaciers' that store water in the form of ice, and release it in the summer.

Surangas, the disappearing lifeline of the farmers of Kasargod, Kerala
In this article, Aarti Kelkar-Khambete narrates her experience of her visit to Kasargod, Kerala to meet Sree Padreji and to see the fast disappearing Surangas Posted on 10 Oct, 2012 09:22 AM

Surangas continue to be one of the relatively less known and gradually disappearing traditional water harvesting systems of Kasargod district, Kerala and are being gradually replaced by borewells to meet the water needs of the community. 

Tenth anniversary celebration of The Rain Centre, Akash Ganga Trust, October 8, 2012, Chennai
Posted on 03 Oct, 2012 05:08 PM

Organiser: Akash Ganga Trust

Venue: #4, 3rd Trust Link Street
               Mandavelipakkam, Chennai

Self reliance in water: A book by Indukanth Ragade
Self reliance in water, a practical manual for city and town dwellers by Indukanth Ragade, describes the what, why and how of the paths towards self-reliance in water. Posted on 21 Sep, 2012 03:39 AM

Water safety planning for small community water supplies: Step-by-step risk management guidance for drinking water supplies in small communities- A manual by World Health Organisation
This manual by the World Health Organisation sheds light on the water safety planning for drinking water systems in the context of small community managed water supply Posted on 20 Sep, 2012 01:00 PM

This manual by the World Health Organisation is applicable to piped schemes, point sources such as hand pumps, protected springs or household rainwater harvesting systems and other sources.

National water framework law – An explanatory note developed by the Sub-Group of Planning Commission’s Working Group on Water Governance for the Twelfth Plan
This note on the national water law provides an account of why a national water law is necessary Posted on 19 Sep, 2012 05:30 PM

This explanatory note by the Planning Commission on the national water law begins with an account of why a national water law is necessary.

India's first nationwide rural water quality survey to start from October: A compilation of top stories from water industry from newsletter- Droplets
This article by Sumathi Sivam includes a compilation of news from the newsletter Droplets Posted on 17 Sep, 2012 02:27 PM

What are the emerging trends in India’s water sector? The newsletter, Droplets by Everything About Water gives an overview of the current issues in the sector by giving brief description of recent developments in water industry, technologies, products, research, reports etc,.

Video interview with water consultant Shubha Ramachandran - Rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge
This video showcases the successful functioning of rainwater harvesting scheme that has been adopted by the residents of a community in Bangalore Posted on 17 Sep, 2012 12:27 PM

Guidelines for the green development of Kerala - Draft report on the outcomes of the Kerala State Environmental Convention organised in Trivandrum (2nd and 3rd September 2012)
This report is an outcome of the two day Kerala Environmental Convention organised by the Kerala Paristhiti Aikya Vedi in Trivandrum Posted on 15 Sep, 2012 05:31 PM

This draft report by the Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedi is an outcome of the Kerala State Environmental Convention, a two day convention that was organised in Trivandrum, Kerala by calling upon various environmental and social organisations, concerned citizens, experts,  political leaders in the state to discuss the environmental crisis that the state has been facing in recent years.

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