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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Nela Jala' - A book about rainwater harvesting from the Karnataka State Resource Center
Download all six parts of the Kannada book 'Nela Jala' from the links provided below Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 11:48 AM

'Nela Jala', a book from the Karnataka State Resource Center talks extensively about rainwater harvesting and also touches upon related aspects like water quality, agricultural practice, rainfall data.

Total size 3.0 MB

Traditional rainwater harvesting structures of Karnataka - A Kannada book from CDL
Download the Kannada book brought out by Communication for Development and Learning, Bangalore on the traditional rainwater harvesting structures of Karnataka Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 11:29 AM

A book by Communication for Development and Learning, Bangalore about the traditional rainwater harvesting structures that have been in use in Karnataka.

Designing your own rooftop rainwater harvesting system: A presentation
This presentation explains the basics of rainwater harvesting. Calculate the amount of rainwater you can harvest off your roof and design your own RWH system. Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 11:19 AM

Download the presentation from below

20 tips to help you choose your rainwater harvesting design from Mihir Maitra
Tips to help you choose your rainwater harvesting design, from Mihir Maitra, consulting hydrogeologist Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 11:08 AM

From collection to storage and recharge, Maitra explains in layman's terms the basics of rainwater harvesting.

Download the attchment from below

"The wisdom that was !" - A talk by Anupam Mishra on the traditional water harvesting systems of the Thar desert, Rajasthan
The Wisdom That Was !, captures a very interesting and informative talk by Anupam Mishra, on traditional water harvesting systems of the Rajasthan desert. Posted on 20 Aug, 2009 05:57 PM

This talk is part of a multimedia course series developed by Arghyam for the India Water Portal. The talk is in Hindi, with some subtitles in English.

Informative and detailed slideshows on all things related to household rainwater harvesting
A set of informative and detailed slideshows on all things relating to rainwater harvesting at home Posted on 20 Aug, 2009 04:34 PM

Seven easy steps to constructing a recharge pit
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The making of a recharge well
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Rashtrita Jal Chetna Yatra: Efforts of Tarun Bharat Sangh and Rajendar Singh in addressing water related concerns across the country
A detailed write up about the aims, aspirations and achievements of the Rashtriya Jal Chetna Yatra Posted on 20 Aug, 2009 02:20 PM

Tarun Bharat Sangh and Rajendar Singh started a massive campaign to spread awareness of traditional water harvesting structures in order to restore the water resources of arid Rajasthan. The aim was to popularize the use of such traditional structures across the country.

Rainwater harvesting basics: Filtering the water before storage and use
Filtering rainwater before storage is essentially to remove organic material and silt so that the water stays clean longer. Posted on 19 Aug, 2009 03:29 PM

Overview

Rainwater is amongst the purest water one can get distilled as it is by the sun. However, in a rainwater harvesting system, the water comes in contact with several surfaces, such as the roof or gutters. Its flow becomes possibly mixed with leaves or dust.

Rainwater harvesting basics: How to direct roof top rainwater into the sump
This page provides you with the basics of how to direct the roof rainwater into the sump for effective storage Posted on 19 Aug, 2009 10:00 AM

Overview

Toolkit on rainwater harvesting: Basics, overview and related technologies
Learn the basics of rainwater catchment systems, components, collection for domestic water supply and the socio-economic as well as health aspects Posted on 18 Aug, 2009 04:25 PM

Rainwater harvesting is an option which has been adopted in many areas of the world where conventional water supply systems have failed to meet the needs of the people. Examples of RWH systems can be found in all the great civilisations throughout history.

Here's an eToolkit on rainwater harvesting that tells you all that you need to know to harvest rain successfully.

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