Rainwater Harvesting: How long can India affoed to ignore it

India which depends almost completely on the annual monsoons currently faces the most severe water crisis in the annals of its known history A recent report by NITI Aayog predicted that as many as 21 cities in the country will see the total depletion of their groundwater by as early as 2020Even today our cities run dry like clockwork during summers Nevertheless there is still not enough awareness about the simple solution of rainwater harvesting in India Can we really afford to neglect this straightforward solution any longer Santhosh Kumar Vice Chairman ANAROCK Property Consultants disects the rain water harvesting issueCities that Rose to the ChallengeIn Bangalore the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board BWSSB has mandated that every structure built on 30x40 sq ft and above and old buildings built on 40x60 sq ft above should install rainwater harvesting In case anybody fails to do so heshe must pay a penalty every month Interestingly despite its annual water woes Bangalore gets ample rainfallChennai in Tamil Nadu is among the leaders in rainwater harvesting and boasts of several successful examples of water conservation Rainwater harvesting is compulsory in the city and fresh designs for rainwater harvesting structures have been incorporated into the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules 2019 As a notable example residents of 56 apartments of the Sabari Terrace Complex in Sholinganallur Chennai planned designed and implemented a rainwater harvesting structure to collect rainwater on their own terracesIn Delhi the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation has made it mandatory for all new buildings on plots of 100 sq meters and above to provide for water harvesting through storing of water runoff including rainwater In rural Maharashtra Shirpur once an arid droughtstricken area has literally turned green due to the adoption of rainwater harvesting Known as a green district today Shirpur has almost solely through the efforts of its residents built rainwater harvesting systems and small dams to cultivate three to four crops a yearGetting It Done State LevelMajor cities like Delhi Mumbai Bangalore Hyderabad as well as tier 2 cities such as Chandigarh Indore Surat and Nagpur do have laws regarding rainwater harvesting However it is not good enough for such rules existing just on paper If the concerned authorities fail to check regularly to ensure their onground implementation rules for rainwater harvesting are obviously are toothlessState governments can popularise rainwater harvesting by launching awareness drives not just in urban areas but in rural areas as well They can promote rainwater harvesting by incentivising housing societies that do comply such as by offering a rebate on property tax for installing a rainwater harvesting system severely penalise societiesbuilders who dont complyGetting it Done Local LevelAs some of the above examples show local initiative can fill the gap even if policy and legislature fail at the city and state level Individual housing societies take up the challenge of sustaining themselves through the annual water shortage To do this they must gauge the average rainfall in their particular area evaluate how much water the society typically uses and to what extent it can depend on rainwater harvesting to meet those needs and get their own rainwater harvesting systems in placeThe size of an underground tank will depend on the following factorsNumber of family members in the societyPer capita water requirementAverage annual rainfallPeriod of water scarcity to ensure even distribution of water throughout the yearRainwater Harvesting in Rural AreasRooftop rainwater harvesting is among the most common solutions in rural areas as it is a basic inexpensive method requiring minimum expertise for implementation In this method rainwater is collected on the roof and carried to a storage tank from where it goes to the point of consumption This technique is ideal for supplementing existing water sources which may become brackish or polluted Other methods of rainwater harvesting in rural areas include the gully plug and contour bund methods as well as Gabion structures and percolation tanksWater shortages will get worseIt is said that World War III will not be fought for geographic dominance but solely on the basis of water This may sound farfetched to citizens of more developed countries However in India there are already daily battles being waged by areas projects and individuals for access to this precious resource during summers The conflict potential is indubitably highIn such a scenario state governments and local bodies must enforce rules on compulsory rainwater harvesting and impose hefty penalties for noncompliance This cannot happen too soon it must happen now or India will eventually lose its own Water WarsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates