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)
July 14, 2022 The river is faced with the dual problem of flood plain encroachment and growing levels of water pollution
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)
November 9, 2021 Building resilient agricultural system through groundwater management interventions in degraded landscapes of Bundelkhand region
Charkhari talab in Bundelkhand (Image: IWP Flickr)
Policy on Rain Water Harvesting - Department of Water Resources (Government of Goa) (2008)
The document provides the details of the Rainwater Harvesting policy for the State of Goa and is aimed at providing guidance to all the concerned departments for the implementation of the policy. Posted on 11 Oct, 2010 04:24 PM

This document provides the details of the Rainwater Harvesting policy for the State of Goa and is aimed at providing guidance to all the concerned departments for the implementation of the policy in the state and information to the public.

The first Professor Satish Dhawan Commemoration lecture : Role of engineering in development of economy, society and people
Aiming towards responsible citizens through better education, and understanding the role of engineering Posted on 11 Oct, 2010 03:34 PM

The first Professor Satish Dhawan Commemoration lecture organized by The Institution of Engineers (India) (IE), Karnataka State Centre delivered on 22nd September 2010 at The Institution of Engineers (India), Karnataka State Centre, No. 3, Dr. B R Ambedkar Veedhi, Bangalore 560 001.

Dr.Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ISRO/Secretary, DOS/Chairman, Space Commission, Dr.L V Muralikrishna Reddy, Chairman, The Institution of Engineers (India) Karnataka Sate Centre, Dr.S B Ganjigatti, Honorary Secretary and distinguished participants.

Water Resources Engineering and Management - A Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning
A web-based course to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country Posted on 29 Sep, 2010 07:42 AM

This Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) on the broad subject of Water Resources Engineering and Management is being carried out by Indian Institute of Technology’s and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a collaborative project supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country, by developing curriculum based video and web courses. In these web based lectures, the authors have developed the subject in detail and in stages in a student-friendly manner. The broad group of Water Resources Engineering is structured into modules on the topic by IIT Kharagpur as follows:

Member's newsletter from International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance(IRHA)- September 2010
Newsletter focuses on all activities concerning rainwater harvesting, the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA) and its partners. Posted on 24 Sep, 2010 11:55 AM

International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance

Earth sciences in watershed management – A presentation by ACWADAM
Groundwater cannot be directly observed on these pictures. The presentation outlines the scale as well as how to map for watershed management Posted on 23 Sep, 2010 08:04 AM

This presentation by ACWADAM on earth sciences in watershed management shows how the occurrence of water within a watershed is governed by the rock types occurring both at the surface and within the subsurface, their sequence and their structure. The presentation deals with the basic components involved in the mapping of a watershed –

  • The type of rocks (lithology), and
  • The structure (whether these are folded, faulted, fractured, jointed etc.,)

The structure of the sub-surface – A presentation by ACWADAM
the physical environment of rocks and rock material hosts water, and hence, controls its accumulation and flow in the watershed. Posted on 22 Sep, 2010 09:38 PM

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with the structure of the sub-surface. The lithology and structure of rocks together define the geometric framework for the movement of groundwater. To some extent, these factors also govern the movement of surface water too. In other words, the physical environment of rocks and rock material hosts water, and hence, controls its accumulation and flow in the watershed.

Hydrologic properties of rocks – A presentation by ACWADAM
The understanding of storage, transmission of water within the ground is essential to watershed programmes Posted on 19 Sep, 2010 06:22 PM

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with hydrologic properties of the rock framework in which groundwater occurs and through which it moves. In watershed programmes, it is necessary to develop a correct understanding of the storage and transmission of water within such channels because the shape of openings in a rock or sediment, their size, volume and interconnection play a vital part in the hydraulic characteristics of an aquifer.

Hindustan Unilever Limited call for proposals
Posted on 16 Sep, 2010 12:27 PM

Content and Image Courtesy: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)

United Nations reports that people need a minimum of 50 litres of water a day for drinking and other basic needs. In India, more than 50% of the population lives on less than 10 liters of water a day. Approximately 70% of the total water is consumed by the agriculture sector. India is an agri-economy, and as its population grows, there will be an increase in water consumption by the agriculture sector. These issues are likely to be exacerbated by climate change, making access to water an issue for farmers and society.

Why study weather – A presentation by ACWADAM
Weather shapes the earth. It is essential to understand this for proper implementation of watershed projects Posted on 12 Sep, 2010 11:03 AM

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with weather, the most fundamental process that shapes the earth. Meteorology, the science of studying weather, is described where some predictions can be made using atmospheric conditions or some data can be generated using simple equipments. These can in turn be used for measurement of weather for better implementation of a watershed project.