Bangalore should not ignore rainwater harvesting

Bangalore should not ignore rainwater harvesting
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: To have a borewell is a burden on your pockets. But, you do it anyway because your neighbour has struck gold in the form of potable ground water.

This is a fleeting solution to your water conundrum, as groundwater levels are falling and surface water is not enough for domestic requirements. Why not save yourself the trouble by having a rainwater harvesting structure?

Central GroundWater Board (CGWB) Chairman S. Ramasesha told this website’s newspaper that Bangalore was the ideal place to set up RWH structures.

‘‘The city cannot recharge groundwater, as it is completely urbanised. It is running short of surface water and there is no continuous supply to the suburbs. It also receives a fair share of the monsoon, since it rains for 60 days in a year here. But, all this water is washed down the drain and there is no percolation. Many have advocated rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a possible solution for using rainwater for non-potable purposes, it is time the city viewed this seriously,’’ he said.

Asked how the city can go about it, Ramsesha said, ‘‘It is very simple, just divert the water collected on the rooftop towards a sump or create one by fixing special pipes. At an average a family requires 135 liters per day. If we use rainwater that is being stored in the pump, then 25 to 35 percent of our water requirements from civic bodies can be saved. You can invest upto Rs. 5,000 for a RWH structure, but it is the duty of the civic bodies to carry the message to the people.’’

Water expert S. Vishwanath mentioned that civic bodies such as the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) were not implicating the advantages of RWH.

‘‘The BCC says that their by-laws mention the usage of RWHS, but will people understand a by-law. There has to be a cadre of trained engineers, fining is not a solution. A special cell must be set up to sensitise people,’’ he said.

‘‘Those who don't want to invest a lot of money, can go in for barrel rainwater harvesting. Roof top pipes are diverted to a 500 litre barrel. If it rains 50 times a year, then a person can save 25,000 litres ’’ added Vishwanath.