Low-cost rainwater harvesting system | Fusion - WeRIndia

Several million litres of rainwater is wasted falling into the sea in the country. Lakes in many areas in the country are running dry due to monsoon delay.

At the same time, even places like Mumbai where heavy rains have fallen are also running dry due to the release of rainwater into the sea.

In this context, some people and NGOs are working to harvest rainwater effectively.

Subhajit Mukherjee, the founder of Mission Green Mumbai found a low-cost solution to reduce rainwater wastage using PVC pipes and a water barrel.

He is now installing this rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging system in schools and private societies.

He even contacted the engineers at IIT Bombay to modify his system to be more effective. They also appreciated his idea as it is cost-effective and does not need complex engineering.

His concept is straightforward. The water that falls on the terrace is passed into a pit underground to conserve the groundwater and other water bodies like ponds, lakes etc.

The water can be extracted for utilization as well.

Subhajit Mukherjee explains various ways of rainwater harvesting. Digging a pit to create a catchment area to accumulate rainwater is one of the ways.

The rainwater falls into the pit through the gaps between the rocks and stones which cover it.

After it is completely filled with rainwater, it starts seeping into the ground to recharge the groundwater table.

Adding stones and pebbles has another advantage of preventing pedestrian accidents (since the pit is filled with rocks, there is no chance for anyone to fall in it).

His system is simple. Take a barrel and drill some holes around its surface. Dig a pit of 3×3 ft or 5×5 ft and install the drum in it. Then connect it with a PVC pipe leading to the terrace.

This barrel drum can hold water for seven to 10 days and thus the rainwater can be harvested cost-effectively.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia