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.

Term Path Alias

/topics/rainwater-harvesting

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)
A community comes together to revive lakes and ponds in Valni village, Nagpur, Maharashtra
This story demonstrates how one person through his persistence and dedication can make a huge difference in solving water issues at a village level. A visit to Valni village with Yogesh Aneja ji shows us how local villagers have revived a lake that has transformed the village and helped in solving the long term water scarcity problems of the village, and improved the situation of farmers through increase in production. Posted on 02 Jan, 2013 06:58 PM

Revived lake in Valni

The 200 old revived lake in Valni village, Nagpur

‘Water conflicts: Quest for creative solutions’ : Video of the conversation between Anupam Mishra, Ramaswamy Iyer, Vivek Bharti and Rohini Nilekani
This event was an interactive conversation on water based conflicts, a platform for the participants to share their varied experiences and explore solutions that were sustainable .The members in this talk were Ramaswamy Iyer of Centre for Policy Research, Vivek Bharti of Pepsi Co and Anupam Mishra of Gandhi Peace Foundation, with Rohini Nilekani, Arghyam acting as the moderator Posted on 31 Dec, 2012 12:51 PM

District-wise data on groundwater resources and its utilization in Andhra Pradesh for the year 2004-05 - A compilation by the Andhra Pradesh State Groundwater Department and the Central Groundwater Board
A compilation of volumetric data on the groundwater resources & its uses for Andhra Pradesh with specific details of the resource in villages that come under 22 districts of the state. Posted on 31 Dec, 2012 12:00 AM

The data is categorised into watershed wise (basin-wise) annual availability of groundwater, current draft (utilisation), allocation for domestic and industrial needs, availability for future use (or the balance) and categorisation based on stage of development and rigorous statistical treatment of water levels.

A growing concern - How soon will India run out of water - Paper published in the Journal of Global Health
This paper published in the Journal of Global Health sheds light on the grave water scarcity that the country could face in the coming years and warns that this could happen in as few as twenty years as the demand for water continue to exceed the sources of supply. The paper argues that this will have a negative effect on the public health and sanitation situation in the country and urgent steps thus need to be taken to deal with this situation. Posted on 29 Dec, 2012 05:33 PM

The paper informs that groundwater accounts for about 50%-80% of domestic water use and 45%-50% of the irrigation in the country.

Briefing papers on ‘Jal kothis’, ‘Matka filter’, 'Dug wells' and ‘Phayedemand shauchalaya’: Local innovative solutions in flood prone Bihar by Megh Pyne Abhiyan (2011)
Megh Pyne Abhiyan, supported by Arghyam, has been working towards self-reliance and access to safe drinking water and secure sanitation, in 22 panchayats of five flood-prone districts of north Bihar. Included below are four briefing papers that describe innovative localised solutions implemented by Megh Pyne Abhiyan to deal with the problems arising out of the recurrent flood situation in the state of Bihar Posted on 29 Dec, 2012 03:14 PM

The briefing papers include the following:

Event report: Course on Managed Aquifer Recharge - Methods, hydrogeological requirements and impact assessment - December 11-12, 2012, Anna University, Chennai
A two day course on Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) was conducted as part of the Saph Pani project, funded by the European Commission, at the Anna University in Chennai between the 11th and 12th of December. The event saw the coming together of experts in the field from across the world – Saph Pani partners from Europe, Australia as well as those from within India. The two day event witnessed a series of interesting presentations and deliberations that ranged from sustainability of MAR structures to impact assessment and not to forget, the Indian experience. Posted on 29 Dec, 2012 11:19 AM

SaphPani Logo

Exploring linkages between the agricultural sector and the environment - Report on the Kerala Environment Congress organised by the Centre for Environment and Development at Thiruvananthapuram, between 16 -18 August 2012
The focal theme of the 8th Kerala Environment Congress was Agriculture and Environment. The congress aimed at providing a platform for scientists, researchers, students and members of the community to deliberate on the issues pertaining to the agricultural sector and their impacts on the environment. Posted on 24 Dec, 2012 05:27 PM

The Congress was jointly organised by Centre for Environment and Development (CED), Thiruvananthapuram and the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 

Inauguration of the conference

Around 350 participants including eminent scientists, agricultural experts and students participated in the event. The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri. Oommen Chandy. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister, highlighted that development and environment were linked and that the approach to the cause of agriculture and environment needed to be realistic since the state could not neglect both development and environment. He also pointed out that Kerala was one state having a very high reputation in preserving and protecting the forest cover, which was much  higher than the national average in the state. This was possible due to the will and awareness of the people of Kerala. He emphasised the need for a more realistic approach to deal with issues related to the agriculture and environment.

KEC inauguration

Inaugural speech by the Chief Minister of Kerala

Climate change adaptation in water management for food security - A consultation meeting by India Water Partnership
A consultation meeting was held by the India Water Partnership on “Climate change adaptation in water management for food security: Recent developments in India”. Posted on 19 Dec, 2012 09:20 AM

The meeting held on 22nd November, 2012 at the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi was followed by a discussion which included comments and suggestions of the experts and participants. The meeting was chaired by Prof. S R Hashim, President, India Water Partnership who was accompanied by Dr.

Can storm water drains help in recharging groundwater? - The case of Chennai, Tamil Nadu
In this article, Seetha Gopalakrishnan introduces us to the Rain Centre and it activities in Chennai with respect to storm water construction in the city Posted on 10 Dec, 2012 06:08 PM

One of the most conspicuous activities in the preparation for the monsoons in several cities today is dug up roads ! Crores and crores are spent on the construction of storm water drains alongside roads in cities and towns to prevent flooding during the rains.

"The time has come for every individual to take responsibility of conserving and harvesting water" - A conversation with Anupam Mishra
Amit Tiwari, an India Water Portal volunteer, interacts with Anupam Mishra ji during the recent Western Ghats meet at Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. Included below are some excerpts from their conversation Posted on 09 Dec, 2012 05:54 PM

Anupamji

×