ABOUT RAINWATER HARVESTING

 Rainwater is the first source of water. It needs to be filtered to be made potable through
rainwater harvesting.
 Rainwater harvesting is done by recharging groundwater and helps in sustaining the
ecology.
 It is a one-time cost-effective measure that can improve the quality of water. Through
rainwater harvesting, a lot of money can be saved.
 Around 800 million litres of water is wasted through leakages in tankers every day, as per
BMC data. Rainwater harvesting can help save this precious resource.

Mumbai cops set up rainwater

harvesting system, help 2,300
families get daily water supply
The project in Naigon is the largest of its kind in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region

he armed police headquarters at Naigon, Dadar, does not depend upon the
local municipal corporation for its water supply.

Along with non-profit organisation Centre for Environmental Research and

Education (CERE), the Mumbai police set up the largest rainwater harvesting
(RWH) system in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

With the capacity to harvest 38.8 million litres of rainfall every monsoon, it
supplies water to the residential building surrounding these open grounds.

Serving as the base for three battalions and several special units of the
Mumbai police, the precinct is home to more than 2,300 families of the
constabulary, a municipal school, and a police hospital. However, it received
less than 20 minutes of municipal water supply daily. This will now be
augmented by the new system.

According to CERE, more than 10,000 water tankers ply in Mumbai and the
cost of fresh water constantly increases with an ever-widening demand-
supply gap, leading to severe water shortages annually.

“Owing to concretisation, most of the rainfall is lost as surface water run off
and flows into the sea through storm water drains, instead of being allowed to
percolate into the soil to recharge our depleted ground water aquifers,” said
Rashneh N Pardiwala, founder and director, CERE, architect of the project.
“Rainwater harvesting would be the only long-term, cost-effective, low
maintenance solution to address the city’s water woes.”

In April, the RWH system was initiated at three large grounds at the precinct,
and was completed within three-and-a-half months, before the onset of the
monsoon.

The team dug 1,150 cubic metres of percolation trenches to allow the rainfall
to seep into the ground and recharge the underground aquifers. They repaired
and revived nine dry bore wells within the precinct, which will now be used
to store water.

The pipes from these bore wells are connected to washrooms used by
residents.
Mumbai police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar, joint commissioner of
police (admin) Archana Tyagi and additional commissioner of police Aswati
Dorje inaugurated the system.

“Even though Mumbai received more than 300mm of rain on August 29-30
and September 19-20, there was no flooding around the three grounds,” said
police. “Even though Naigon is a low-lying area and chances of flooding are
high, we saw rainwater being soaked up by percolation trenches for the first
time in many years,” said Aswati Dorje, additional commissioner of police,
Naigon.

She added that based on the success of the project, RWH projects in different
parts of the city are being revived.

Rainwater harvesting key to Mumbai’s flooding issues: CERE

Experts from non-profit organisation Centre for Environmental Research and
Education (CERE) said that rainwater harvesting is a key solution to
Mumbai’s flooding problems.

“Recharging the depleted ground water table and underground aquifers also
helps prevent the ingress of sea water which is vital for island cities like
Mumbai. A number of open wells in the city have become brackish and salty
over the past decade as sea water gushes in and corrodes the foundation of
our city,” said Rashneh N Pardiwala, founder and director, CERE adding that
the project at Naigaon is a prototype of how a community can become self-
reliant, more environmentally sustainable and contribute towards improving
the city’s environment.
“Other communities like large housing colonies, office complexes, and
educational campuses also follow suit in order to save Mumbai city,” said
Pardiwala

Apart from RWH, following activities carried out and planned at Naigon:

-52 trees have been planted at the Naigon police camp

-CERE and Mumbai Police next plan to install solar panels on the main
Police Community Hall to reduce their carbon footprint

Rainwater harvesting: Colleges

in Mumbai do their bit, pit by
pit
Set up in June 2010, Somaiya Vidyavihar’s Rs 10 lakh-rainwater harvesting
project consists of 10-12 harvesting pits, distributed throughout the campus
Many colleges are taking steps to deal with the perennial water shortage
plaguing the city. Among many others, colleges such as Somaiya Vidyavihar,
Vivekananda Education Society and Ruparel College have installed rainwater
harvesting systems on their campus.
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Set up in June 2010, Somaiya Vidyavihar’s Rs 10 lakh-rainwater harvesting

project consists of 10-12 harvesting pits, distributed throughout the campus.
The ground and the terraces of the buildings collect water, which is channeled
through pipes to pre-defined storage destinations. Not only does this system
harvest approximately 9 crore litres of water annually, it also helps in
recharging the groundwater level, which is beneficial to the entire city.
“As an institution, we are sensitive to the use of natural resources, and believe
that sustainability is possible with planning. Rainwater harvesting is a natural
extension of our commitment and contribution to the community,” said Samir
Somaiya, the college’s principal.
 umbai based Neev Group has successfully completed 16 Rainwater harvesting projects
commissioned by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). The completed
harvesting tanks have been set up across Mumbai city at several areas including Wadala,
Kurla, Chembur and Byculla. These projects are worth approximately Rs1.5 crore, covering
an area of approximately 124,000 sq ft.
Speaking on this development, Alkesh Jain, COO – Neev Group said: “As water shortage
continues to affect Mumbai city’s water supply due to the previous year’s weak monsoon,
rainwater harvesting is one of the most promising solutions for collecting and supplying
fresh water to the residents of the city and significantly reducing the water scarcity in
several areas. Through this project, the Neev Group is ensuring that it contributes towards
safeguarding the Mumbai community, environment and assisting the government in
providing better water access for the residents of Mumbai."
The application of Rainwater harvesting implies collecting rainwater through specially
designed piping and tanks, which are installed on the top of buildings or in the ground in a
building complex or an open space. The completion of these projects is a part of the MCGM’s
larger Rainwater harvesting program, which is budgeted at a cost of approximately Rs. 30
crore.
The completion of this program is divided into two phases, with the first part slated to be
finished by mid-July. Within each phase the MCGM is focusing on different activities. The
first phase will be including the setting up of Rain water harvesting tanks, while the second
phase will focus on the setting up of bore wells / dug wells to collect and stabilize the
underground water table.
This will also help in increasing the water level in conventional wells. The civic body has
taken up the work of constructing Rain harvesting plants in various locations across the city
to meet the water requirements.

 PROJECTS

The venture : Mr. SANDEEP A. ADHYAPAK- Civil Engineering graduate of Mumbai University and
Proprietor of Water Field Technologies has practical experience in designing and implementation of
Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) Projects and management work of Ground Water sources, since year 2000.
EMPANELMENT : 1) Appointment as ‘Expert On Rainwater Harvesting’ in the panel announced by
Municipal Commissioner Thane Municipality in year 2005. 2) Appointment as a Technical Service
Provider for Rural Water Supply schemes in Raigad District, on the panel formed by Chief Executive
Officer, Raigad Zilla Parishad (Z.P.) 3) Empanelment as a Professional Consultant for Rain Water
Harvesting & Ground Water Management at CIDCO in the year 2013. MEMBERSHIP IN
PROFESSIONALTIES : 1) Life Member, Indian Water Works Association (IWWA) 2) Various License issued
by Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) 3) Member of
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). 4) Member of MAHRATTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
INDUSTRIES AND AGRICULTURE (MCCIA) AREA OF WORKING: RURAL AREAS : Groundwater management
works and Water Supply Schemes URBAN AREAS : Consultants for various Urban Development Projects,
Residential and Commercial Complexes, Shopping Malls etc. INDUSTRIALAREAS : Providing effective
water management solutions to various Refineries, Paint Manufacturing Units and other major
Industries. FELICITATION: Date Event Place Honored by 19th Nov Organised by MLA Shri Subhash Desai-
Inauguration of Goregaon telephone exchange Shivsena Leader – 2006 Programme, ‘My Goregaon-Pride
chowk. Goregaon-W, Mumbai. of Mumbai’ Shri. Uddhav Thakre. 16th Dec 2007 14th April Inauguration
of Rainwater Harvesting Project. Redwoods Society, Vasant Gardens , Mulund-W, Mumbai-400080
Navghar Manikpur Municipal Honble. Mayor of Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Dr. Shubha Raul.
Hon'ble. MLA 2008 Inauguration of NMMC’s Rain Centre at Vasai Council RAIN CENTRE at Vasai. Shri.
Hitendraji Thakur. (Vasai Taluka) OTHER RECOGNITION: • Work is appreciated through the Newspaper
and other Media by the news articles in, Mumbai Times, Navbharat Times, Mumbai Sakal, Navashakti,
and Hitavarda- Nagpur etc. • Appointed as a Judge for evaluating the project works presented by
Students in Navi Mumbai under the event organized by “National Children’s Science Congress (NCSSC-
04)-an effort by Govt. Of India, Ministry of Science and Technology. • Winner of the ‘Special Mention’
prize in the Harvest to Harness Competition ( H2H-2005) for rainwater harvesting project designed and
implemented at Maharashtra Nature Park- Sion, Mumbai under MMRDA. • Continuous participation in
awareness creation on Rain Water Harvesting through Television media.Appearance in “HELLO SAKHI-a
live phone in show” on DD Sahyadri channel. • Participation in the consultation meeting at New Delhi on
the review of The National Water Policy called by Ministry Of Water Resources, Government Of India. •
Winner of Paniratna 2011 Award Water Conservation & Management Event by Maharashtra Navnirman
Sena Bhandup, Mumbai. • Winner of Indira Gandhi Excellence Award 2013 for Outstanding
Achievements in Rain Water Harvesting & Ground Water Management arranged by International
Business Council , New Delhi. • Winner of Jal Jagar Puraskar 2015 arranged by Jagar Foundation, Thane.