Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a simple method by which rainfall is collected for future usage. The collected rainwater may be stored, utilised in different ways or directly used for recharge purposes. With depleting groundwater levels and fluctuating climate conditions, RWH can go a long way to help mitigate these effects. Capturing the rainwater can help recharge local aquifers, reduce urban flooding and most importantly ensure water availability in water-scarce zones. Though the term seems to have picked up greater visibility in the last few years, it was, and is even today, a traditional practice followed in rural India. Some ancient rainwater harvesting methods followed in India include madakas, ahar pynes, surangas, taankas and many more.

This water conservation method can be easily practiced in individual homes, apartments, parks, offices and temples too, across the world. Farmers have recharged their dry borewells, created water banks in drought areas, greened their farms, increased sustainability of their water resources and even created a river. Technical know how for the rooftop RWH with direct storage can be availed for better implementation. RWH An effective method in water scarce times, it is also an easily doable practice. Practical advice is available in books written by Indukanth Ragade & Shree Padre, talks by Anupam Mishra and other easy to follow fun ways

Read our FAQ on Rainwater Harvesting and have many basic questions answered.

Featured Articles
September 21, 2022 The unique design and functioning of the Chakla bavdi in Chanderi Madhya Pradesh is another example of the water wisdom of our ancestors, which needs to be conserved and passed on to the future generations.
Chakla Bavdi at Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (Image Source: Shirole, S. 2022. Architectural eloquence: Water harvesting structure in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (India). Ancient Asia, 13: 9, pp. 1–13)
July 14, 2022 The river is faced with the dual problem of flood plain encroachment and growing levels of water pollution
Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
July 11, 2022 The Chauka system of Rajasthan can not only provide a sustainable way to manage water resources in water stressed regions, but also support livelihoods through development of pastures.
Can greening of barren lands happen? (Image Source: India Water Portal Flickr photos)
March 21, 2022 Recognizing women's accumulated knowledge and adaptive capacities in springshed management
Van Panchayat Samiti discussing the matters related to forest (Image: Varun Raja)
November 9, 2021 Building resilient agricultural system through groundwater management interventions in degraded landscapes of Bundelkhand region
Charkhari talab in Bundelkhand (Image: IWP Flickr)
July 23, 2021 Improper location, poor operation and maintenance of water harvesting and recharge structures threaten water security in Yavatmal
A study assesses the current status of the water harvesting and recharge structures in Yavatmal (Image: India Water Portal Flickr)
Make the best out of the monsoons - Catch the water in the hills during 4 months of rain for later use to prevent acute water shortage
We have two months of monsoon left and 4 months of returning (North East) monsoon to conserve water Posted on 18 Aug, 2012 11:54 AM

Remember, Water harvesting Principles:
Make the running water to walk, walking water to crawl, crawling water to stay and sink

Rainwater harvesting intervention in Chured-Dhar village in Uttarakhand
This note highlights the relevance of roof top rainwater harvesting in Chured-Dhar village of Uttarakhand Posted on 06 Aug, 2012 12:43 PM

More erratic and extreme rainfall events leading to longer dry periods sometimes and high water availability at other times in the hilly region of Uttarakhand. Owing to the longer dry periods, available water sources are no longer sufficient, and groundwater levels drop even further, resulting in longer distances to fetch drinking water.

Thirst in the land of Malhaar - Aamir Khan focuses on water in the 12th episode of Satyamev Jayate
This episode by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao highlights the importance of water and its increasing scarcity and on the increasing incidences of conflicts over water Posted on 01 Aug, 2012 12:49 PM

Satyamev Jayate  is a serial produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao and aired  on StarPlus. Each of its 13 episodes take a hard look at one of the various problems facing India today.

Water and a City: A film by Swati Dandekar that narrates the story of water in Bangalore
This film by Swati Dandekar traces the flow of water as it flows through the various households in different economic strata and then flows out in the form of sewage Posted on 01 Aug, 2012 10:04 AM

Directed and produced by Swati Dandekar, 'Water and a City' traces the journey of water through Bangalore using a succession of haunting im

Environmental management system at Infosys headquarters, Bangalore
This article shows the dedication towards the environment shown by Infosys by implementing an Environmental Management System called the Ozone Initiative. Posted on 24 Jul, 2012 05:44 PM

“We want to give back this planet to our children in a condition better than the one in which we borrowed it from them.”
N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor, Infosys Limited

A lake in Bangalore city. Image used for representational purposes only. Image courtesy India Water Portal.
"Aajao Pukur Aamader" by Nirupama Adhikari - Bengali translation of Anupam Mishra’s book “Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab”
This book titled “Aajao Pukur Aamader” is the Bengali translation of Anupam Mishra’s book in Hindi “Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab” which has been a runaway success for several years. Posted on 21 Jul, 2012 09:49 PM

cover pageAnupam Mishra is an environmental activist and currently works with the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. The inspiring contribution dealing with the indigenous water systems of central India has been translated by Nirupama Adhikari into Bengali.

Has the revised draft of the National Water Policy 2012, released by the Ministry of Water Resources in June 2012 incorporated the public's feedback ?
This article by Chicu Lokgariwar presents the salient features of the revised draft of the National Water Policy and compares it to the previous version Posted on 21 Jul, 2012 07:45 PM

On 31st January 2012, the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) had released the draft of the National Water Policy 2012 and invited comments till 29 February. Following the meeting of the National Water Board on 7th June 2012, the MoWR has now put up a revised draft on their website.

Rainwater harvesting for the Bangalore Metro - A presentation by Biome Environmental Solutions Private Limited
This presentation introduces a plan for rainwater harvesting for the city of Bangalore Posted on 20 Jul, 2012 04:37 PM

This presentation by Biome Environmental Solutions Private Limited introduces a plan for Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) for the city of Bangalore. The objectives of the plan include:

"Pani, hum aur Anupam" - A talk on rainwater harvesting by Anupam Mishra on NDTV
This film brings into light hard hitting facts centered around water management issues Posted on 14 Jul, 2012 05:00 PM

Rainwater harvesting law in Bangalore - Has it worked ? - A video interview with an experienced plumber in Bangalore
This video describes the experiences of a plumber in rainwater harvesting in Bangalore Posted on 13 Jul, 2012 12:50 PM

 

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