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)
When it rains, it stores!
In the four years since a programme called 'Mazhapolima', meaning bounty of rain, was launched in Thrissur, Kerala, the district has seen an increase in the quality and quantity of water in its wells. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 09:03 PM

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Rainwater diverted into an open well in Thrissur
A pathway for water
Pophala, a village that was dry land farming in Aurangabad, channeled the rainwater it harvested by way of trenches. The drinking water wells are now full and their crop variety has increased. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 08:18 PM

Pophala is a dry land farming village with 73 families that cultivate 290 acres. The people would spend as many as 5 hours to go to another village and get water. In the year 2013, the Gram Sabha in Pophala village, decided on something unique. They decided to figure out a way to get and keep water in their village so as to not be dependent on anyone else. 

From dry land farming to Water conservation
No water, no power - no problem!
Sea-Line Co-operative Society, an apartment community in Mumbai, is now completely water and partially power-secure thanks to good initiative, planning and management. Posted on 23 Mar, 2014 10:46 PM

Sea Line Co-operative Society, is a residential complex with 25 apartments in Bandra-a suburb in Mumbai. The 70 residents required 6000 kilolitres (KL) water per year but they managed to procure just about 5000 KL while paying through their noses - Rs. 20,000 per month, to be exact.

Navin Chandra, near the water treatment plant
A village becomes water secure
Implementing rooftop rainwater harvesting, treating the catchment and building a community water tank are some reasons why Patkhori village is starting to sail through its water crisis. Posted on 23 Mar, 2014 10:12 PM

Mewat, a historical region comprising of the present Mewat district of Haryana and parts of Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan, lies in a semi-arid belt. It experiences variable rainfall annually and receives, on average, 336 mm to 540 mm, as per the Mewat Development Agency.

Water scarcity in Mewat
Water warriors of Chennai
The duo of Sekhar Raghavan and Indukanth Ragade, addicts of water conservation, tell why rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling are important and how they can be implemented at homes. Posted on 19 Mar, 2014 11:03 PM

Sekhar Raghavan and Indukanth Ragade
A multi-pronged approach to improve livelihoods in MP
Out-migration of residents and inefficient agricultural practices in Baldeogarh, MP have been partially resolved by an NGO's intervention, which focused on conserving water. Posted on 17 Mar, 2014 03:46 PM

A little less than 40 km away from the district headquarters of Tikamgarh in northern Madhya Pradesh lies a watershed, which is an area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place (US Environmental Protection Agency).

Farmer looks at the water conservation efforts
Princely' private ponds
The 'Apna Talab Abhiyaan' programme promotes the building of private talabs on peoples' lands to help improve groundwater recharge in Bundelkhand. Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:14 AM

Charkhari, a princely state of India in the colonial period was once a beautiful settlement founded by Saurabh Singh Bundela, a Rajput King. Acceded to India post-Independence, the town is now located in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. The place was home to intricate water management systems in the past.

A talab in the fort city of Charkhari
Water across Northern Railways highly contaminated
News this week: Report says tap water across the Northern Railways is highly polluted; Metal industry poisons groundwater of Chittoor; Allahabad's water table reducing by 62 cm every year. Posted on 05 Mar, 2014 11:25 PM

Water across Northern Railways highly contaminated, says report

Water tap at a railway station
Rainwater harvesting: Practical solution to solve water woes
This book is a practical guide to rainwater harvesting written by Shree Padre. It details success stories of RWH in India and abroad. Posted on 21 Feb, 2014 12:04 AM

The book contains a few pieces on rainwater harvesting by Shree Padre edited by C. K. SujithKumar and published as a book. A practical guide for rainwater harvesting, the book very clearly highlights the necessity for conservation of water. It explains the causes for drought and decline of water table.

Roof top rainwater harvesting
Gujaratina neera tijori: Taankaa
Taankaas are considered as safe deposit lockers of water in Gujarat. They have been storing every drop of water that falls down and quenching the thirst of households for decades. Posted on 20 Feb, 2014 11:56 PM

Rainwater harvesting is not a new science in India. There are several traditional practices across the country where rainwater was stored safely and used in times of need. One such example is the 'Taankaa' system in Gujarat.

86,000 litres tanka in Ahmedabad
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