Harvesting rainwater for domestic use

The venue was the Rain Centre in Meerut. The guests were farmers from Aligarh, Dehra Dun, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. And their aim: To lear...

The venue was the Rain Centre in Meerut. The guests were farmers from Aligarh, Dehra Dun, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. And their aim: To learn rain water harvesting for domestic use.

Ranbir Singh from Khatki village was surprised to see how rain water was being collected and used for domestic purposes in the centre. ‘‘This is too good. I would like to have it in my house as well. This is a gift in times when the ground water-level is depleting,’’ he says.

The Rain Centre is a water-harvesting model set up by Centre for Science and Environment and a Meerut-based NGO Janhit at Shastri Nagar.

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A colourful assortment of panels, murals, posters and publications provide information on all water-related issues, like its sources, distribution systems and government policies.

‘‘This is a simple and cost effective technology to conserve rain water. We have developed a network in about 70,000 villages in adjoining areas and have received a good response. Over 500 people and institutions have sought our help in harvesting rainwater; 500 volunteers will assist us in spreading water literacy”, said Anil Rana, Director Janhit.

Sunita Narain, director, CSE, said: ‘‘We have been exhausting our water resources and will have to pay a price if we do not act soon.’’ Bhure Lal, chairperson of the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Board, NCR, released Janhit’s field study report ‘Paani Ghano Anmol’ on water tanks and ponds in villages in Meerut.

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