by Mr.
Sachin Agarwal, CMD - Maple Shelters
In a land-locked city like Pune, the
importance of water is inescapable. Even at a national and global level,
climactic changes as well as other factors are causing water levels to
decrease.
Overpopulation has led to more and
more acquisition of shallow lands for landfills, reducing the number of
available water bodies. Deforestation has further compounded the scarcity
of water, as this causes regional rainfall to become more unpredictable.
Though India is advantageously
placed geographically, several regions are seriously affected by lack of usable
water – a city like Pune is, in fact, a prime example of this
phenomenon. In the years to come, the majority of the world’s population
will be living in urban areas.
Because of rapid real estate
development in our cities, the highest demand for resources such as water is
centered there. Moreover, with limited developable land, multi-story
residential complexes are being built at a very fast rate.
Earth’s
surface is 70% water
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| Mr. Sachin Agarwal, CMD - Maple Shelters |
The earth’s surface is 70% water;
however, very little of this is drinkable or usable by humans. It is more than
likely that we will soon reach a point when the amount of usable water present
on the earth’s surface is not enough to meet all the needs of the growing
population and the development taking place alongside.
Water as a resource is needed in
every activity, be it farming or construction of buildings. Rainwater
harvesting is the only real solution available now, and is a practice that is
catching on in urban as well as rural areas.
Rainwater harvesting involves
collecting, filtering and storing rain water to be used for various residential
and industrial purposes. The primary apparatus includes a down pipe and a first
flush arrangement, a filter unit and a storage tank. Rainwater provides a
clean, free source of potable water.
Rainwater harvesting employed in
residential properties, which usually involves trapping rainwater from roofs
and guiding it into storage tanks or cisterns in the ground, can meet 50% of
everyday household needs.
In fact, rainwater harvesting is not
just a way to make maximum use of this natural resource, but also a way to do
with minimum environmental impact. Naturally, it also results in significant
cost savings on utilities bills.
The various benefits of harvesting
rainwater in urban residential areas include:
Reduced Pressure On Ground Water..!
Most water supply in urban areas
comes from reservoirs, rivers and lakes. Urban water supply also involves
putting up treatment plants, supply pipes as well as pumping stations. In most
Indian cities, city planning authorities cannot match utilities with the pace
of growth.
Water resources are impossibly
stretched even in the most developed cities in the world, but the problem is
worse in developing countries like India, which see a greater rate of
population movement from rural areas to urban areas.
Geologists and engineers are
constantly struggling to find new sources of water. The demand for water
for industrial uses has led to further depletion of ground water levels.
In Indian cities like Pune, there is
relentless drilling for ground water, with shafts going deeper as the search
for more water continues. In such a scenario, rainwater can significantly
supplement a city’s water supply and reduce the pressure on conventional water supplies.
Lower Utility Bills..!
When rainwater is harvested in a
housing complex, it can be used for various non-drinking purposes that require
large volumes of water. For instance, rainwater can be used for functions such
as household and vehicle cleaning, garden and green space maintenance and
toilet flushing.
This means greatly reduced utility
bills, because rainwater can complement the conventional water supply
system. This is equally applicable for industries that use up large
quantities of water for various uses. Industries can make use of rainwater for
the majority of their operations and therefore reducing pressure on ground
water.
Creates Backup Water Supply …!
Rainwater harvesting can be used as
an insurance for times when water supplies are compromised for any reason. This
is important, because climate change has caused major disruptions in the
weather patterns in many Indian cities. Rainwater can be collected and stored,
and used during drought seasons to complement the stretched normal water
supply.
In cities like Pune and Mumbai, the
dreaded bane of water shortage and rationing is significantly mitigated with
rainwater harvesting, which also reduces the dependency on water reservoirs and
dams.
Good For The Environment..!
When several residential buildings
in a city use rain water harvesting systems, there is a significant decrease in
surface run offs, floods, soil erosion and reduced pressure on the drainage
system.
Collecting rain water means less
contamination of surface water from surface run off, when rainwater picks up
pesticides and other harmful chemicals that ends up in rivers and lakes.
Collecting rainwater, especially in
low-lying areas, reduces the possibility of floods. It can also protect the
soil from erosion caused by peak storm runoffs. Rain water collection therefore
also serves an environment conservation purpose by preventing contamination of
other water sources and ensuring that less water is drawn from lakes and
rivers.
Rainwater collection can be used to
recharge ground water levels through various methods, and to improve the
quality of ground water.
This helps in improving urban
greenery; in fact, this is the only reliable means of having green areas within
urban areas without leeching off from existing water supplies. Within large
residential projects, such water can be used for landscape irrigation.
Easy Implementation..!
Rainwater harvesting systems are
easy to install and maintain. Since rainwater is pure, there is no need for the
complex purifying systems that have to be employed to clean ground water.
Rainwater collection systems are
based on basic technology, and maintenance only involves occasional cleaning of
the storage tanks and collection pipes to ensure that the rainwater collected
is not contaminated.
In fact, rainwater harvesting can be
achieved by anyone. Installation of gutters is the first step for any building
without them, along with a filtration system to ensure that leaves or / any
other kind of debris do not find their way into the storage tank. Safety
precautions include having locking lids or / bars to prevent contamination of
the stored water and the breeding of mosquitoes.
Catchment areas in a city can
include paved areas such as car parks, roads and paths, where water can be
harvested for several non-drinking purposes.
Increasing Government Support..!
The Indian government has laid out a
number of plans concerning harvesting of rainwater and putting it to maximum
use. A good example is the ongoing work done by Greater Vishakhapatnam
Municipal Corporation (GVMC). The municipality is going to fine households that
do not have the mandatory rainwater pits.
New apartment projects in several
Indian states are now required to be engineered to have rainwater harvesting
systems. In many areas, the government is also promoting rainwater harvesting
as a means to address the scarcity of water for agriculture.
As rainfall is getting visibly
scantier, the government is planning to implement special measures and urge
residential societies, educational institutions and similar buildings to
optimize water saving and usage.
The increased areas of paving and
roads is preventing the proper percolation of rainwater, ultimately affecting
the water table and causing water bottlenecks in the outskirts. Installation of
pits at regular intervals over urbanized localities is a good way to trap this
water for better use.
The Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE) is now promoting the maximum use of rainwater and its
harvesting all across the country. It has launched various campaigns to educate
people on India’s traditional water harvesting processes.
The organization has gathered all
NGOs working in this area under its wings, and is running consultancies to
improve the conditions.
Rainwater harvesting should be the
default code for sustainable households. Builders and architects are getting
aware of and implementing the same in their designs.
In many areas, buildings into which
rainwater harvesting systems have not been integrated are being partially
reconstructed to add this vital measure.
About The Author..!
Mr. Sachin Agarwal is CMD of Maple
Group (founded in 1997 as Goyal Constructions) whose mission is to provide
genuinely affordable housing to the common man without compromising on quality
and amenities.
Maple Group’s ‘Aapla Ghar’
initiative has seen unprecedented success. The Group now has unique welfare
housing projects, other residential projects and commercial projects in 30+ key
locations in and around the city of Pune Maharashtra, India
For more details
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