Save Precious Water

A “Wet” India Attempts To Save Precious Water

New technological innovations boost rainwater harvesting efforts.

As the annual monsoon rains pound many parts of the country after a long, hot summer, saving precious water for future use is the last thing on people’s minds. But actually this is the right time to get into the act of saving water. This is because nearly 80 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the June-September season. Most of the water is wasted as runoffs into the sea and India faces acute shortage of water in cities and villages during the rest of the year.
This story need not be repeated every year. After all, India is one of the wettest countries on earth with the annual average rainfall in excess of 900 millimeters. The village of Mawsynram in the northeastern state of Meghalaya is one of the world’s wettest places with a precipitation of 11,871 mm. Of course, India is a land of contrasts. Some of our planet’s driest places are also in the country with villages in the western desert state of Rajasthan having less than 10 mm rainfall in a year.
Water is revered in Indian culture and hence it is made available to all literally free. This has led to non-appreciation of the precious nature of this resource and hence it is wasted enormously. However, of late, the burgeoning population and the ever-increasing demand for water has finally forced people to look at ways to save water. Urban centers in India are dependent on water pumped in from hundreds of kilometers away from big dams. Thanks to many awareness campaigns, rainwater harvesting has caught public imagination in many cities. In fact some cities have made it mandatory for all public and private buildings of a certain size to have rainwater harvesting system.
This sudden interest in rainwater harvesting systems have spurred many technological innovations that are redefining the way rainwater is harvested in Indian cities. “Water Replenishing Technologies,” (see p. 34) is a portrayal of some of the latest innovations that are spurring thousands of Indian urban homes to take pride in announcing their “water-friendliness”.

Rainwater Storage

Rainwater harvesting is the answer to solve India’s water scarcity problems.
Today every part of India is facing water crisis and there is enormous unmet demand for water. Even as clean water sources are being viciously attacked by pollution and over explotation. The rural areas too are facing water crisis be it quantity or quality of water. Traditional water bodies like eries, ooranis, ponds, lakes, baolis and tanks have been filled up to construct houses. And the storm-water drains in the city fail to hold the extra runoff generated from the emerging urban areas. Rainwater harvesting can be the solution for all the above problems.

Rainwater harvesting means simply catching the rain wherever it falls. Rain water is the purest form of water and it can be harvested anywhere (see “Water Replishing Technologies,” p. 34). The runoff from different areas can be stored and reused or can be recharged to the ground to increase the groundwater availability. Storing rain from rooftops for potable and non-potable use can solve water scarcity problems at the individual level. In cities, the runoff from the stormwater drains can be intercepted and can be used later. Rainwater harvesting can help an individual to manage the rain intelligently and become water independent.
Sustainability of a source of water is possible only through a decentralized system such as rainwater harvesting. Only a community-managed water system will be able to meet most of the water demands in the long run. Centralized water systems will face many problems due to financial requirements and mismanagement of the present infrastructure. In India rainwater harvesting is now mandatory for new buildings in 18 states and four union territories. For the first time in India a Wetland Act has also been introduced to protect the waterbodies. This is the time to redefine the role of states, individuals and communities on rainwater harvesting. If we get our acts together then there is no reason why anyone should go thirsty or any land to remain perched.
Sushmita Sengupta is deputy coordinator of the water programme unit of Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.