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Rainwater Harvesting

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93 views3 pages

Rainwater Harvesting

Uploaded by

Ryuu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RAINWATER HARVESTING:

Rainwater harvesting is a simple strategy by which rainfall is gathered and stored for future
usage. The process involves collection and storage of rainwater with the help of artificially
designed systems, that runs off natural or man-made catchment areas e.g. rooftop,
compounds, rocky surface, hill slopes or artificially repaired impervious/semi-pervious land
surface. Water harvesting is the capture, diversion, and storage of water obtained from
different freshwater sources for plant irrigation, domestic purposes, industrial purposes,
groundwater recharge and other uses.
It can also be defined as the system of collection and concentration of rain water and its run
off and its productive use for
a) Irrigation of annual crops pastures and trees.
b) Domestic and livestock consumption.
c) Groundwater recharge.

Necessity of Rainwater Harvesting


The following reasons have led to the necessity of rain water harvesting:
i) Major parts of our country have been facing continuous failure of monsoon and consequent
deficit of rainfall over the last few years.
ii) Due to ever increasing population the use of ground water has increased drastically leading
to constant depletion of ground water level causing the wells and tube wells to dry up.
iii) To combat excessive heat waves during summer which create a situation similar to
drought in some areas.
iv) It is imperative to take adequate measures to meet the drinking water needs of the people
in the country besides irrigation and domestic needs.
v) Out of 8760 rainfall hours in a year, most of the rain in our country falls in just 100 hours
thus rainwater harvesting becomes a necessity.
Goals of rainwater harvesting
• Substitute ground water
• Reduce flood risk
• Reduce soil erosion risk
• Recharge ground water
• Improve living conditions

 TECHNIQUES OF RAINWATER HARVESTING


There are two major techniques of rainwater harvesting
1. Surface runoff harvesting: In this method, rainwater flows away as surface runoff and
can be stored for future use. Surface water can be stored by diverting the flow of small creeks
and streams into reservoirs on the surface or underground. It can provide water for farming,
for cattle and also for general domestic use. Surface runoff harvesting is most suitable in
urban areas. Rooftop rainwater/storm runoff can be harvested in urban areas through:
• Recharge Pit
• Recharge Trench
• Tube-well
• Recharge Well
2. Groundwater recharge: Groundwater recharge is a hydrologic process where water
moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method
through which water enters an aquifer. The aquifer also serves as a distribution system.
The surplus rainwater can then be used to recharge groundwater aquifer through artificial
recharge techniques. Rainwater in rural areas can be harvested through:
• Gully Plug
• Contour Bund
• Dug well Recharge
• Percolation Tank
• Check Dam/Cement Plug/Nula Bund
• Recharge Shaft
Although rainwater harvesting measure is deemed to be a desirable concept since the last few
years, it is rarely being implemented in rural areas. Different regions of the country practiced
a variety of rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge methods. Some ancient rainwater
harvesting methods followed in India includes Madakas, Ahar Pynes, Surangas, Taankas, etc.

 Advantages of implementing rain-water harvesting


• Reduced Water Bills: Rainwater harvesting systems are cost effective, provide high-
quality water, lessen dependence on wells and are considerably easy to maintain since they
are not utilized for drinking, cooking or other sensitive uses. The all-around expenditures
used in setting up harvesting methods are much cheaper compared to other purifying or
pumping means. The cost of recharge to the subsurface reservoir is also lower than the
surface reservoirs.
• Ecological benefit: Storing water underground is environment friendly. The ecological
benefits of rainwater harvesting are immense. It minimizes the impacts of flooding by
funnelling the off water into large tanks for recycling and helps reduce the load placed
upon drainage systems. No land is wasted for storage purpose and no population
displacement is implicated therefore, groundwater is not directly exposed to evaporation and
pollution. Additionally, it helps minimize the possibility of rivers drying up.
• Reduces erosion and flooding around buildings: It reduces soil erosion and flood hazards
by collecting rainwater and reducing the flow of storm water to prevent urban flooding. Most
buildings that utilize rainwater harvesting systems have a built-in catchment area on top of
the roof, which has a capacity of collecting large volumes of water in case of rainstorms.
• An adequate means for Irrigation purpose: Harvesting rainwater allows the collection of
large amounts of water and mitigates the effects of drought. Most rooftops provide the
necessary platform for collecting water. Rainwater is mostly free from harmful chemicals,
which makes it suitable for irrigation purposes.
• Reduces demand on Ground Water: Another vital benefit is that it increases the
productivity of aquifer resulting in the rise of groundwater levels and reduces the need for
potable water. It is extremely essential, particularly in areas with low water levels.

 Disadvantages of Rain-Water Harvesting:


• Complex constructions, there is a requirement for high costs, trained professionals.
• Maintenance costs may add to the monetary burden.
• If not maintained properly then it can cause various problems in terms of algal or bacterial
growth.
• Tanks if not constructed properly might result in leakages and metal tanks may also lead to
problems such as corrosion harming the water quality.
• All these factors might prove harmful and result in various kinds of health issues.
• The system is very much rainfall dependent and hence if there are problems with the rainfall
in the area, it may not be very effective.

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