Rainwater Harvesting

`We should learn to keep the rains in our homes,” says A.R. Shivakumar, senior fellow and principal investigator- RWH, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Shivakumar has his reasons. With Hesaraghatta lake, a manmade reservoir, and Tippegondahanally reservoir drying up, Bangalore’s entire population (urban and rural) has to depend on the Cauvery waters.

The rain water harvesting in general is a great plan and there are also many advantages that are associated with the rain water harvesting plan. Rainwater harvesting system is collection of rainwater from the surface which directly receives rainfall. Rainwater harvesting can be adopted in cities to supplement the city’s other water supplies, to increase soil moisture levels for urban greenery, to raise the water table through artificial recharge, to mitigate urban flooding and to improve the quality of groundwater. As rainwater may be contaminated, it is often not considered suitable for drinking. However, there are many examples of rainwater being used for all purposes, including drinking, following suitable treatment.