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)
Rainwater harvesting basics: All you need to know about recharge pits
A recharge pit allows the rainwater to replenish groundwater by recharging the underground aquifers. It can be built to recharge a borewell or just to help the water infiltration in an area. Posted on 18 Aug, 2009 04:09 PM

1) Overview:

How to construct a rainwater tank: A comprehensive design and performance guide
The guide gives a detailed overview about the design aspects, different types of systems, costing, performance, water quality and regulatory issues of rainwater tanks Posted on 18 Aug, 2009 04:06 PM

Water Sensitive Urban Design in the Sydney Region has come out with a comprehensive brochure which details out the system overview, design, costing and water quality issues in the construction of rainwater tanks

Click here to download the guide

All you need to know about rain barrels: Stepwise preparation and construction guide
Using a rain barrel is the easiest way to begin rainwater harvesting. Rain barrel serves as a storage unit for rooftop rainwater. It can collect a substantial amount of rainwater. Posted on 18 Aug, 2009 12:51 PM

Overview

In Bangalore, for example, for an annual rainfall of 900mm over 60 rainy days and a roof area of 50 sq.m.

Technical manual for Rainwater Harvesting
This is a technical manual for rainwater harvesting from the Rainwater Club, giving detailed information including required parts and approximate costs. Posted on 18 Aug, 2009 12:44 PM

Technical manual for Rainwater Harvesting from the Rainwater Club. It gives detailed information including required parts and approximate costs. The manual covers using rain barrels, recharge pits, directing rainwater into the sump, rainwater filters and recharge wells respectively in 5 parts.

Advanced course on “Urban Rainwater Harvesting”, CSE
Posted on 15 Aug, 2009 12:32 AM

CSE’s advanced course on “Urban Rainwater Harvesting” for working professionals, https://www.cseindia.org/aagc/rwh-professionals.asp salah@cseindia.org

Karnataka's water resources: Excerpts from the Karnataka State of the Environment Report
The chapter on water resources in the report deals with the environmental problems linked to water resources pertaining to availability, distribution, management, utilization and sustenance Posted on 14 Aug, 2009 02:48 PM

It deals with the (a) inequities in sectoral distribution and inadequacy in availability of water (b)  inefficiency in use of water in domestic and agricultural sector (c) depleting ground water resource (d) inadequate treatment of watersheds (e) deteriorating surface and groundwater quality (f) degradation of traditional and community owned tanks and (g) siltation in river basins and command a

BCIL surveys the citizens of Bangalore to learn about their water conservation practices
Water survey of the citizens of Bangalore conducted by Biodiversity Conservation India Ltd. Posted on 14 Aug, 2009 12:25 PM

Here's a list of resources relating to the water survey conducted in the city of Bangalore

Baseline report: Sachetana Drinking Water project of the Government of Karnataka (2006-2011)
The project envisions a set of interventions including household rainwater harvesting for clusters of villages in Karnataka that are particularly severely affected by fluoride Posted on 14 Aug, 2009 11:28 AM

The Sachetana Drinking Water project of the Government of Karnataka covers 15 villages in each of the taluks of Bagepalli (Chikkaballapur), Mundargi (Gadag), Sira (Tumkur) and Pavagada (Tumkur).

The baseline survey covers a representative portion of the villages and families of the above and contains the following information:

Taluka-level GIS database for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh
A database of the spread of and expenditure on watershed development programmes in 3 states of India, enables easy visualisation of the regional variation in the data. Posted on 13 Aug, 2009 09:47 AM

The taluka-level GIS database for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, is a CD containing a GIS (Geographical Information System) database of the spread of and expenditure on watershed development programmes in 3 states of India, viz., Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Half full, Half empty: A WaterAid publication on the drought and drinking water crisis in Bundelkhand
The paper presents a situational analysis of the crisis and challenges of drinking water in Bundelkhand in the overall context of the drought spell in 2007 Posted on 11 Aug, 2009 01:44 PM

This paper on Bundelkhand from their Water and Sanitation Perspective series of WaterAid presents how ecological degradation and faulty policies make drinking water scarce and less accessible.

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