Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a method of collecting, storing and conserving local surface runoff rain water.

The most wasted water is the runoff, which goes to the sea along with the most fertile soil. “The running water has to be made to crawl, the crawling water is to soil and get stored, to be used in the dry days,” This is the simple definition of rain water harvesting.

Water is essential to all life – human, animal and vegetation. It is therefore important that adequate supplies of water be developed to sustain such life. Development of water supplies should be undertaken in such a way as to preserve the hydrological balance and the biological functions of all ecosystems.

Therefore Rain Water Harvesting is very essential for Humans, Animals & plants.

Why it is required?

In India, Water available per capita is on decline with most obvious reason as increasing demand for water with increasing rate of population. Moreover the rivers are getting dried up, groundwater is depleting and canals are polluted. Other factors influencing/ causing water shortage are felt as under:

• Massive urbanization/ industrialization throughout the country
• Increasing construction/ infrastructure development Activities
• Depleting of natural resources due to changing climate conditions
• Lack of implementation of effective water management systems

The increased demand has not been matched by efforts to conserve and better manage water supplies, meaning that the resource is being depleted faster than it can be replenished.

Considering the present circumstances, India faces a bleak water future. India might face a sever water crisis within the next two decades, unless water management practices are changed/ improved on priority basis.

Advantages:-

• Provides a dependable and steady supply of water even to meet increased future demands.
• It is a self-sufficient system.
• Improves ground water quality through dilution when recharged to ground water.
• Reduce soil erosion in rural areas.
• It is far more cost-effective & easy to construct, operate and maintain.
• In hilly areas, rain water system can prefer.
• In saline or coastal areas, rain water provides good quality water and when recharged to ground water it reduces salinity and also helps in maintaining balance between the fresh – saline water interfaces.

How to do Rain Water Harvesting:-

• Collecting Rain Water from rooftop or catchment area
• Filtering it before harvesting
• Study the Soil U surrounding geology
• Investigating the sub-soil spaces below the plot where it can be stored
• Pushing it with gravity or mechanical means in the selected spaces
• Recharge your well or borewell by rain water
• Make Percolation Pit or Percolation Trench