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)
The comedy and tragedy of the Doddaballapur tanks
Twenty five cascading tanks culminate in the Naagarakere tank in Doddaballapur town in Karnataka. Once a source of water for the region, most of them are dry today. Can we revive them? Posted on 26 Sep, 2013 02:08 PM

1972 was the year. A massive hit, a landmark movie in Dr. Rajkumar's cinema career was realeased: Bangarada Manushya (The Golden Man).

With many melodious and meaningful songs, the theme was something close to one's heart - an urban youth returns to his ancestral village, takes up agriculture and works for the welfare of the village.

Doddaballapur tanks
Announcement of award for 'Best contribution towards water conservation', Water Management Forum (WMF), Ahmedabad
An endeavor to spread awareness regarding water and its availability, use and efficient water management among various stakeholders.
Posted on 17 Sep, 2013 03:30 PM

To know more on the announcement by WMF, please click here.

For more details on the qualifying criteria and application form for the award, please click here.

Invite to International Conference on “Advances in Water Resources Development and Management” (AWRDM-2013), National Institute of Hydrology, Chandigarh
A conference to exchange ideas, identify new problems, investigate concerned issues, explore new approaches and initiate possible collaborative research on water related issues.
Posted on 12 Sep, 2013 09:58 AM

For more information on the AWRDM-2013, please click here.

To register for the conference, please click here, or download it from below.

National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee
200-crore penalty for Adani's Mundra port
News this week: 200-crore penalty on Mundra port, Parliament passes Land Acquisition Bill and dengue spreads in Mumbai. Posted on 08 Sep, 2013 07:32 PM

POLICY MATTERS

200-crore penalty for Adani's Mundra port

Land reclaimation from the sea at the Mundra Port
The missing water bodies of Western Uttar Pradesh
Over 3000 water bodies which once existed in Meerut district alone are now in a pitiable state. Will returning to a community-based water management system help revive these? Posted on 01 Sep, 2013 11:54 AM

Traditional water bodies such as bawdis and talabs have long since been an integral part of rural life in India providing water, fish and sometimes even just a venue for people to chit chat. The flat plains in Western Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganga and Yamuna rivers meet, is no exception.

Suraj kund at Meerut; Source: www.meerut-live.com
Invitation for Madurai Symposium 2013 themed 'Governance for Advancing Development', Dhan Foundation, Madurai
A unique development platform that brings together various stakeholders to share, learn from each others' experience and practices, and throws opportunities for collaborative endeavors.
Posted on 31 Aug, 2013 01:03 PM

For details on the symposium, please click here.

For further information on the various events, workshops & conferences , please click here.

For brochure on event, please see attachment below.

Madurai Symposium 2013
Invite to International Film Festival on Water, Voices from the Waters - 2013, Bangalore
Voices from the Waters is a film festival to raise awareness about various water issues, by engaging in a process of learning and debate.
Posted on 16 Aug, 2013 05:52 PM

For further details on the invite, please click here

You may download the poster for the festival from below

 

Voices from the Waters 2013
Sowing the seeds of change
Self-sufficient farming gives women in rural Alipurduar in West Bengal food, health and confidence! Posted on 07 Aug, 2013 07:53 PM

Till a few decades ago, most people in India grew vegetables and fruits in their own gardens. Then something changed. We shifted from 'farming for food' to 'farming for money'. The start of the ‘green revolution’ meant that production increased but so did the farmer's dependency on chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides.

Garden irrigated by a single pot of water
Making leaders out of farmers
Farmers meet, talk, exchange ideas, watch films and more at the Pani Panchayat in Maharashtra, a voluntary movement to connect farmers and build knowledge and resource groups. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 10:37 PM

The 1972 drought in Maharashtra affected several villages and talukas. Farmers in Purandhar taluka in Pune district decided to get together and discuss how to improve their situation so that they would not be as severely affected by poor rainfall in the future. Thus was born Pani Panchayat.

Farmers sharing priceless info Source: Hamsa Iyer
Touched by very little water
Anupam Mishra talks about how the desert societies of Rajasthan have managed their scarce water resources for over 1000 years. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 11:54 AM

Author and conservationist, Anupam Mishra has spent decades promoting water conservation and management. Through his travels across various states of India, he has been studying and teaching the time-tested techniques of rainwater harvesting.

Kunds and tankas have been used to collect water
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