Journal of Chemical, Biological and Physical Sciences

An International Peer Review E-3 Journal of Sciences

Available online at www.jcbsc.org

Section B: Physical Science

ISSN 2249 –1929
Research Article

Rain water harvesting in Indore City: A demanding

need for sustainable development

Dheeraj Mandloi1* , Deepak Khare 2 and Teena Pareek3

1
Institute of Engineering & Technology, Devi Ahilya University, Indore
2
Lakshmi Narain College of Technology, Sanwer Road, Indore
3
Transnational Knowledge Society Group of Institutions (Acropolis-II), Indore

4 May 2011; Revi sed: 21 May 2011; Accepted: 6 June 2011

ABSTRACT

Demand for water is growing in most cities across India as every urban citizen now requires
almost double the amount of water needed five years back. With urban India growing by
leaps and bounds, it is expected to experience a severe water crisis by 2020 and the per
capita availability of water is projected to be less than 1,000 cubic metres. By the year 2020,
says a World Bank report, most major Indian cities will run dry. India's supply of water too is
rapidly dwindling primarily due to increasing population, mismanagement of water
resources, although over-pumping and pollution are also significant contributors. Water
security, like food security, is becoming a major national and regional priority in many areas
of the world. The shortage of water points to a grim situation as it is bound to adversely
affect economic and agricultural growth too. Not long ago, most of our cities were self-
sufficient in meeting their water needs from the extensive urban water bodies.
Today, these water bodies have disappeared. Municipalities have been stretched to their
limits to find water for the growing populations. Groundwater is being mindlessly extracted
by the government as well as by private parties.

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These are the reasons that make rainwater harvesting indispensable for a country like
ours. With industrialization being the need of the hour, we just cannot afford to ignore it. In
fact, many environmental groups in India are demanding that water harvesting should be
made mandatory for all new buildings and housing societies in the urban areas across the
country in order to fulfill our water needs to some extent. Various methods and practices
followed in Indore city are explained in this paper.

Keywords: Rain water harvesting, Water security, Ground Water, Water cycle.

INTRODUCTION

Water is most precious gift of nature to mankind, yet it is the most neglected one. We all
know that life is not possible without water, so nature has gifted us with various sources of
water to thrive on. It is well known that earth is a blue planet and approximate 75% of its
surface is covered by water, but the hard fact of life is about 97% of it is locked in sea and
oceans containing large amount of salinity. So this marine water cannot be directly used for
sustaining terrestrial life. Remaining 2% water is in the form of ice on poles and mountains,
so only remaining 1% of total water is surface water and available to us to live.
This 1% of total water called surface or ground water is available to us in the form of rivers,
lakes, ponds, streams, and underground water. All forms of life and all industrial applications
require water to survive.
To fulfill the needs of increasing human population and modern fast life style, more and more
amount of potable/usable water is required. This has lead to uncontrolled exploitation of
natural water resources at a much faster rate. This also leads to water shortage and
contamination of water. Problems like Improper land encroachment and improper land use,
Eutrophication etc. along with water wastage, unpredictable monsoon rains are also
responsible for water crisis in the society.
Unless rainwater is collected every year of the present and future generations, there will be no
sustainability. This is so because water is a finite, renewable source and per capita
availability of fresh water decreases with increasing populations and decreasing annual
rainfall in many places due to climate change. Rain water harvesting is need of present time
to reduce the amount of runoff water a little and to collect good quality natural water for
present and future use. Otherwise this rain water will again go to the oceans through water
cycle.
Urban centers in India are facing an ironical situation today. On one hand there is the acute
water scarcity and on the other, the streets are often flooded during the monsoons. This has
led to serious problems with quality and quantity of groundwater.
This is despite the fact that all these cities receive good rainfall. However, this rainfall occurs
during short spells of high intensity. (Most of the rain falls in just 100 hours out of 8,760
hours in a year). Because of such short duration of heavy rain, most of the rain falling on the
surface tends to flow away rapidly leaving very little for recharge of groundwater. Most of

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the traditional water harvesting systems in cities have been neglected and fallen into disuse,
worsening the urban water scenario.
One of the solutions to the urban water crisis is rainwater harvesting - capturing the runoff.
This is practiced on a large scale in cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi where rainwater
harvesting is a part of the state policy. Elsewhere, countries like Germany, Japan, United
States, Israel and Singapore are also adopting rainwater harvesting.
Rain water harvesting is collection and storage of rain water that runs off from roof tops,
parks, roads, open grounds, etc. This water runoff can be either stored or recharged into the
ground water. A rainwater harvesting systems consists of the following components:

· catchments from where water is captured and stored or recharged,

· conveyance system that carries the water harvested from the catchment to the
storage/recharge zone,
· first flush that is used to flush out the first spell of rain,
· filter used to remove pollutants,
· Storage tanks and/or various recharge structures.

Rain may soon be the only source of clean water. Rainwater harvesting systems use the
principle of conserving rainwater where it falls and have the following benefits: Helps meet
ever increasing demand of water, Improves quality and quantity of groundwater and Reduces
flooding. Setting up a rainwater harvesting is not difficult but requires some sort of
understanding of hydrology and architecture and as a result most people find it too
complicated to do it themselves. In order to make it simple and convenient for everyone to set
up a rainwater harvesting system suitable for their needs, we have prepared a set of guidelines
which will help you to set up your own rainwater harvesting system quickly and efficiently.
Community based rainwater harvesting - the paradigm of the past - has in it as much strength
as it ever did before. A survey conducted by Centre for Science & Environment of several
drought-struck villages found that those which had undertaken rainwater harvesting and/or
watershed development in earlier years had no drinking water problem whatsoever and even
had some water to irrigate their crops.
Indore is a fast growing industrial city with faster rate of increase in human population.
Various new residential colonies are also coming up resulting in cutting off the natural input
channels of water reservoirs like Pipliyapala, Bilaoli Talaab, Sirpur Talaab and Yashwant
sagar leading to water shortage and contamination of water bodies. One best possible way to
prevent water shortage and maintenance of our natural water bodies is to use water
judiciously and focus more on rain water harvesting with individual as well as collective
efforts. As water is an essential material required to sustain life, nature has regulated its
supply on this planet by naturally operating water cycle. Rain fall is natural source of water
and it needs to be preserved for further use.

EXPERIMENTAL

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Details regarding Indore City: Indore district lies in the heart of Malwa plateau in Madhya
Pradesh and covers an area of 3831 sq km. It is bounded by N latitudes 22° 31’ and 23° 05’
and E longitudes 75° 25’ and 76° 15’ in the survey of India. Indore district is bounded in the
north by Ujjain district, in the south by Khandwa district, in the east by Dewas district and in
the west by Dhar district. Indore district is divided into four tehsils and four development
blocks. It has 632 villages. The total population of the district is 24,65,827 (2001 Census) of
which 7,35,464 is rural and 17,30,363 is urban.
The district lies partly in the Chambal sub basin of the Ganga basin (75%) and partly in the
Narmada basin (25%). The main rivers draining the district in the north are Chambal,
Gambhir, Khan and Shipra. The southern fringe of the district, south of the hills is drained by
the river Narmada, flowing from east to west. Its main tributaries are Choral and Kanar.
Since the rivers flowing in the district originate in the district itself and the plateau is plain,
there is not much scope for construction of major irrigation projects. There are 78 completed
surface water minor irrigation schemes and four completed lift irrigation schemes with an
irrigation potential of 74.47 sq km in the district. The main source of irrigation in the district
is ground water, which irrigates 1364.02 sq km i.e 90.4% of the total irrigated land.

Rainfall & Climate: The climate of Indore district is characterized by hot summer and well-
distributed rainfall during the southwest monsoon season. Monsoon arrives generally in the
middle of June and the weather becomes pleasant. January is generally the coolest month.
Sometimes in December, the minimum temperature drops down to even as low as about 2 to
3°C. There are seven raingauge stations in Indore district, namely Indore, Mhow, Manpur,
Depalpur, Sanwer, Hatod and Gautampura. The district receives maximum rainfall during the
south west monsoon period. Thus about 91.2 % of the total annual rainfall takes place during
the south west monsoon period (June to September) alone. The maximum monthly rainfall
takes place during the month of July. Season wise, the distribution of rainfall during the
remaining period of the year is somewhat as follows:

(i) About 7.2% of the annual rainfall in winter.

(ii) About 1.75% of the annual rainfall in summer and
(iii) About 8.9% of the annual rainfall from October to about the first week of June.

This scanty rainfall between Novembers to the first week of June is hardly sufficient to build
up the Soil- moisture and thus it does not contribute to the ground water potential of the area.
It is only during the monsoon period that surplus water for deep percolation can be available.

Geomorphology & Soil Type: Geomorphologically, Indore district can be divided into three
units; Units of extrusive origin, units of denudational origin and units of fluvial origin (Plate
II). The units of extrusive origin comprise of Region of middle level plateaus (550-900m
amsl), Region of low level plateaus (350-550m amsl) and Plain. The Region of middle level

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plateaus are scattered, while the Regions of low- level plateaus form the main unit in the
district. The Plain occupies a very small area around the border of Khandwa district. Of the
units of denudational origin, denudational slope on Deccan Trap occupy a large area in
Mhow block and is mostly covered with forests. The undifferentiated colluvial fans occupy a
very small area in Mhow block. The Unit of fluvial origin viz; floodplain is confined to the
drainage of the main rivers in the district. The district is covered by medium black soils.
These soils are 0.46 to 0.9 meters thick and are rich in lime and lime nodules. The sub-soil
and the partially disintegrated rock below allow easy drainage and hence these medium black
soils can be freely irrigated.

Hydrogeology: The Deccan Traps, which are the predominant rocks in the district, have
wide variation in the water bearing properties of the different units constituting them. The
massive basalts their weathered zones and secondary porosities and the vesicular basalts with
their minutely connected and partially filled vesicles play an important role in determining
the occurrence, movement and storage of ground water. These invariably form potential
aquifers. The red-bole is non productive. In the alluvial areas, the occurrence of ground water
is governed by sand/clay ratio. The sand beds generally form good aquifers, but due to the
limited thickness and erratic occurrence in the form of lenses, the ground water structures in
them are poor to moderately productive.
The main source of recharge to the basaltic aquifer in the district is rainfall. To some extent,
recharge also takes place by influent seepage from the streams and their tributaries. Due to
low permeability’s of basalts and undulating topography, the runoff is very high. This
restricts the recharge to ground water body. This is reason for large scale seasonal fluctuation
in the water level of the wells tapping trapping formation. Ground Water in the Deccan Traps
in Indore district occurs mostly under water table conditions. The nature of topography,
extent and depth of weathering, distribution of secondary porosity in the form of fractures
and joints and the occurrence and disposition of vesicular units govern the movement of
ground water.
At some places, confined conditions area also observed due to the alternating nature of the
impermeable massive and productive vesicular basalts. At places, like Khajarana, Betma and
Gautampura, semi-artesian conditions are also observed.

WHAT IS GROUND WATER?

Water is essential for life, and groundwater is estimated to constitute more than ninety five
percent of the global, unfrozen freshwater reserves. Water that occurs below the Earth's
surface is called groundwater. The water moves down into the ground because of gravity,
passing between particles of soil, pores of sand, gravel, or cracks of fractured rock until it
reaches a depth where the ground is filled, or saturated, with water. Groundwater also exists
in these openings in the subsurface environment like water exists within a sponge.
Groundwater is mainly extracted through wells and tube wells.

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Groundwater is a renewable resource which, when managed properly, ensures a perpetual

supply. Generally, groundwater supplies cost far less to develop than surface water supplies,
given the extraordinary capital expenditures required for surface water storage, conveyance,
treatment, and protection. Groundwater has vast reserves and broad geographical distribution.
Where surface water, such as lakes and rivers, are scarce or inaccessible, groundwater
supplies many of the hydrologic needs of people everywhere. Groundwater is generally of
good quality, and because it is protected from seasonal fluctuations and contamination,
groundwater, holds the promise to ensure future generation an affordable and safe water
supply. The Water Cycle (also known as the hydrologic cycle) is the journey water takes as it
circulates from the land to the sky and back again.
Realizing this fact, the statutory bodies have also taken many steps to protect and recycle
groundwater. For instance, National Water Policy was adopted in September, 1987, which
has been reviewed and updated in 2002. The State Govt. vide Gazette notification dated
26.8.2006, has made roof top Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) mandatory for all types of
buildings having plot size of more than 140 sq.m. Govt. has also announced 6% rebate in
property tax to individuals for the year in which the individual will go for installation of roof
top RWH structures.
Water harvesting is a concept which uses techniques such as preparation of watersheds,
digging of lakes, making small stop-dams and digging of channels to make rainwater flow
into wells. However, lack of awareness, infrastructure non-availability and ineffective
community participation has led to non- utilization of such a potential water management
system. Survey of 110 farmers in Indore region found that water-recharging techniques have
been largely used for reviving wells in the region. Available water recharging techniques
such as directing rainwater to wells and recycling spilled water from wells have led to
successful recharging of numerous wells. Rainfall is the main source of ground water used
for various domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes.

(a) Importance of Studying Groundwater: Groundwater is the major source of drinking

water in Indore, especially where Narmada river municipal water supply is not there. Besides,
it is an important source of water for the agricultural and the industrial sector. The
groundwater draft for domestic and industrial purposes combined comprise of only 6% of the
total groundwater draft in Madhya Pradesh, whereas the groundwater draft for irrigation
purpose alone comprise of 94% of the total groundwater draft.
The total draft of ground water in Madhya Pradesh for various purposes is as follows:

Domestic and Industrial Purposes 103974 Ha-m (6%)

Irrigation Purposes 1608433 Ha-m (94%)
Total Groundwater Draft 1712407 Ha-m

(b)Consequences of Over-utilization of Groundwater: The water stored in the ground can

be compared to money kept in a bank account. If you withdraw money at a faster rate than

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you deposit new money you will eventually start having account-supply problems. Pumping
water out of the ground faster than it is replenished over the long-term cause’s similar
problems. Some of the negative effects of groundwater depletion:
· Drying up of wells

· Reduction of water in streams and lakes

· Deterioration of water quality
· Increased pumping costs
· Land subsidence
Groundwater crisis is not the result of natural factors; it has been caused by human
actions. During the past two decades, the water level in several parts of the country including
Indore district has been falling rapidly due to an increase in extraction. The number of wells
drilled for irrigation of both food and cash crops have rapidly and indiscriminately increased.
India's rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles has also increased the domestic need
for water. The water requirement for the industry also shows an overall increase. Intense
competition among users - agriculture, industry, and domestic sectors - is driving the
groundwater table lower.

Need for Rain Water Harvesting: Looking the above scenario, it is necessary to preserve
good quality water for present and future use. Rain water harvesting methods provides a good
solution for such situations. It will help a lot to fulfill the increasing water needs of fast
growing Indore city.

METHODOLOGY ADOPTED

Rainwater harvesting is a technology used to collect, convey and store rain for later use from
relatively clean surfaces such as a roof, land surface or rock catchments. The water is
generally stored in a rainwater tank or directed to recharge groundwater. Rainwater
infiltration is another aspect of rainwater harvesting playing an important role in storm water
management and in the replenishment of the groundwater levels. Rainwater harvesting has
been practiced for over 4,000 years throughout the world, traditionally in arid and semi-arid
areas, and has provided drinking water, domestic water and water for livestock and small
irrigation. Today, rainwater harvesting has gained much on significance as a modern, water-
saving and simple technology.
The practice of collecting rainwater from rainfall events can be classified into two broad
categories: land-based and roof-based. Both these two techniques are practiced in Indore city
by individuals as well as community levels. Land-based rainwater harvesting occurs when
runoff from land surfaces is collected in furrow dikes, ponds, tanks and reservoirs. It will also
helps in maintaining ground water levels. Roof-based rainwater harvesting refers to collecting
rainwater runoff from roof surfaces which usually provides a much cleaner source of water
that can be also used for drinking.

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Rooftop rainwater harvesting at the household level is most commonly used for domestic
purposes. It is popular as a household option as the water source is close to people and thus
requires a minimum of energy to collect it. An added advantage is that users own maintain
and control their system without the need to rely on other community members. Now it is a
common practice followed in planned and newly grown up residential societies at Indore.

Why rainwater harvesting? In many regions of the world, clean drinking water is not
always available and this is only possible with tremendous investment costs and expenditure.
Rainwater is a free source and relatively clean and with proper treatment it can be even used
as a potable water source. Rainwater harvesting saves high-quality drinking water sources
and relieves the pressure on sewers and the environment by mitigating floods, soil erosions
and replenishing groundwater levels. Therefore it helps in nourishing long term development
plans.

Application areas: Rainwater harvesting systems can be installed in both new and existing
buildings and harvested rainwater used for different applications that do not require drinking
water quality such as toilet flushing, garden watering, irrigation, cleaning and laundry
washing. Harvested rainwater is also used in many parts of the world as a drinking water
source.
As rainwater is very soft there is also less consumption of washing and cleaning powder.
With rainwater harvesting, the savings in potable water could amount up to 50% of the total
household consumption. Local Newspaper “Naidunia” largely circulated in central India have
popularized “Tham lo jal abhiyan (store and preserve rain water)” in Indore using various
rain water harvesting methods. Now awareness among common public is increasing and
societies have started practicing it in Indore city.

Fig.No.1: Component of the pond system

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Crite ria for selection of rainwater harvesting technologies:

Several factors should be considered when selecting rainwater harvesting systems for
domestic use:
• Type and size of catchments area
• Local rainfall data and weather patterns
• Family size
• Length of the drought period
• Alternative water sources
• Cost of the rainwater harvesting system.
When rainwater harvesting is mainly considered for irrigation, several factors should be taken
into consideration. These include:

• Rainfall amounts, intensities, and evapo-transpiration rates

• Soil infiltration rate, water holding capacity, fertility and depth of soil
• Crop characteristics such as water requirement and length of growing period
• Hydrogeology of the site
• Socio-economic factors such as population density, labor, costs of materials and regulations
governing water resources use.

Components of a rooftop rainwate r harvesting system: Although rainwater can be

harvested from many surfaces, rooftop harvesting systems are most commonly used as the
quality of harvested rainwater is usually clean following proper installation and maintenance.
The effective roof area and the material used in constructing the roof largely influence the
efficiency of collection and the water quality.

Rainwater harvesting systems generally consist of four basic elements:

(1) A collection (catchments) area
(2) A conveyance system consisting of pipes and gutters
(3) A storage facility, and
(4) A delivery system consisting of a tap or pump.

A collection (catchments) area: A collection or catchment system is generally a simple

structure such as roofs and/or gutters that direct rainwater into the storage facility. Roofs are
ideal as catchment areas as they easily collect large volumes of rainwater.

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The amount and quality of rainwater collected from a catchment area depends upon the rain
intensity, roof surface area, type of roofing material and the surrounding environment. Roofs
should be constructed of chemically inert materials such as wood, plastic, aluminum, or
fiberglass. Roofing materials that are well suited include slates, clay tiles and concrete tiles.
Galvanized corrugated iron and thatched roofs made from palm leaves are also suitable.
Generally, unpainted and uncoated surface areas are most suitable. If paint is used, it should
be non-toxic (no lead-based paints).

A conveyance system consisting of pipes and gutters: A conveyance system is required to

transfer the rainwater from the roof catchment area to the storage system by connecting roof
drains (drain pipes) and piping from the roof top to one or more downspouts that transport the
rainwater through a filter system to the storage tanks. Materials suitable for the pipe work
include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or stainless steel.
Before water is stored in a storage tank or cistern, and prior to use, it should be filtered to
remove particles and debris. The choice of the filtering system depends on the construction
conditions. Low- maintenance filters with a good filter output and high water flow should be
preferred. “First flush” systems which filter out the first rain and diverts it away from the
storage tank should be also installed. This will remove the contaminants in rainwater which
are highest in the first rain shower.

Fig.No.2: shows a simple schematic diagram of a rooftop rainwater harvesting system

including conveyance and storage facilities.

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A storage facility: Storage tank or cistern to store harvested rainwater for use when needed.
Depending on the space available these tanks can be constructed above grade, partly
underground, or below grade. They may be constructed as part of the building, or may be
built as a separate unit located some distance away from the building.
The storage tank should be also constructed of an inert material such as reinforced
concrete, ferrocement (reinforced steel and concrete), fiberglass, polyethylene, or stainless
steel, or they could be made of wood, metal, or earth. The choice of material depends on local
availability and affordability. Various types can be used including cylindrical ferrocement
tanks, mortar jars (large jar shaped vessels constructed from wire reinforced mortar) and
single and battery (interconnected) tanks. Polyethylene tanks are the most common and
easiest to clean and connect to the piping system. Storage tanks must be opaque to inhibit
algal growth and should be located near to the supply and demand points to reduce the
distance water is conveyed.
Water flow into the storage tank or cistern is also decisive for the quality of the cistern water.
Calm rainwater inlet will prevent the stirring up of the sediment. Upon leaving the cistern, the
stored water is extracted from the cleanest part of the tank, just below the surface of the
water, using a floating extraction filter. A sloping overflow trap is necessary to drain away
any floating matter and to protect from sewer gases. Storage tanks should be also kept closed
to prevent the entry of insects and other animals.

Delivery system: Delivery system which delivers rainwater and it usually includes a small
pump, a pressure tank and a tap, if delivery by means of simple gravity on site is not feasible.
Disinfection of the harvested rainwater, which includes filtration and/or ozone or UV
disinfection, is necessary if rainwater is to be used as a potable water source.

(i) Storage tanks or reservoirs: The storage reservoir is usually the most expensive part of
the rainwater harvesting system such that a careful design and construction is needed. The
reservoir must be constructed in such a way that it is durable and watertight and the collected
water does not become contaminated.
All rainwater tank designs should include as a minimum requirement:
A solid secure cover - a coarse inlet filter
An overflow pipe - a manhole, sump, and drain to facilitate cleaning - an extraction system
that does not contaminate the water, e.g. a tap or pump.
Storage reservoirs for domestic rainwater harvesting are classified in two categories:
1. Surface or above- ground tanks, most common for roof collection, and
2. Sub-surface or underground tanks, common for ground catchment systems.
Materials and design for the walls of sub-surface tanks or cisterns must be able to resist the
soil and soil water pressures from outside when the tank is empty. Tree roots can also damage
the structure below ground. The size of the storage tank needed for a particular application is
mainly determined by the amount of water available for storage (a function of roof size and
local average rainfall), the amount of water likely to be used (a function of occupancy and
use purpose) and the projected length of time without rain (drought period).
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(ii) First flush and filter screens: The first rain drains the dust, bird droppings, leaves, etc.
which are found on the roof surface. To prevent these pollutants from entering the storage
tank, the first rainwater containing the debris should be diverted or flushed. Automatic
devices that prevent the first 20-25 litres of runoff from being collected in the storage tank are
recommended. Screens to retain larger debris such as leaves can be installed in the down-pipe
or at the tank inlet. The same applies to the collection of rain runoff from a hard ground
surface. In this case, simple gravel-sand filters can be installed at the entrance of the storage
tank to filter the first rain.

(iii) Rainwater harvesting efficiency: The efficiency of rainwater harvesting depends on the
materials used, design and construction, maintenance and the total amount of rainfall. A
commonly used efficiency figure, runoff coefficient, which is the percentage of precipitation
that appears as runoff, is 0.8. For comparison, if cement tiles are used as a roofing material,
the year-round roof runoff coefficient is about 75%, whereas clay tiles collect usually less
than 50% depending on the harvesting technology. Plastic and metal sheets are best with an
efficiency of 80-90%.
For effective operation of a rainwater harvesting system, a well designed and carefully
constructed gutter system is also crucial. 90% or more of the rainwater collected on the roof
will be drained to the storage tank if the gutter and down-pipe system is properly fitted and
maintained. Common materials for gutters and down-pipes are metal and plastic, but also
cement-based products, bamboo and wood can be used.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Benefits of rainwater harvesting: Rainwater harvesting in urban and rural areas offers
several benefits including provision of supplemental water, increasing soil moisture levels for
urban greenery, increasing the groundwater table via artificial recharge, mitigating urban
flooding and improving the quality of groundwater. In homes and buildings, collected
rainwater can be used for irrigation, toilet flushing and laundry. With proper filtration and
treatment, harvested rainwater can also be used for showering, bathing, or drinking. Rain
water harvesting methods adopted in Indore have also decreased the load on Narmada river
municipal water supply in the city. Various industries in Pithampur industrial area are also
following these water harvesting techniques fulfilling their water needs to some extent. The
major benefits of rainwater harvesting are summarized below:
• Rainwater is a relatively clean and free source of water
• Rainwater harvesting provides a source of water at the point where it is needed
• It is owner-operated and managed
• It is socially acceptable and environmentally responsible
• It promotes self- sufficiency and conserves water resources
• Rainwater is friendly to landscape plants and gardens
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• It reduces storm water runoff and non-point source pollution

• It uses simple, flexible technologies that are easy to maintain
• Offers potential cost savings especially with rising water costs
• Provides safe water for human consumption after proper treatment
• Low running costs
• Construction, operation and maintenance are not labour-intensive.

Sustainability: Rainwater harvesting is one of the most promising alternatives for supplying
water in the face of increasing water scarcity and escalating demand. The pressure on water
supplies, increased environmental impact from large projects and deteriorating water quality,
constrain the ability to meet the demand for freshwater from traditional sources. Rainwater
harvesting presents an opportunity for the augmentation of water supplies allowing the same
time for self-reliance and sustainability. These rain water harvesting methods are now gaining
fast popularity in and around Indore city helping ourselves in overcoming water shortage
especially in new residential colonies where third phase of Narmada river project is not
reached.

Maintenance: Maintenance is generally limited to the annual cleaning of the tank and
regular inspection and cleaning of gutters and down-pipes. Maintenance typically consists of
the removal of dirt, leaves and other accumulated material. Cleaning should take place
annually before the start of the major rainfall season in the month of June. Filters in the inlet
should be inspected every about three months. Cracks in storage tanks can create major
problems and should be repaired immediately.

Effectiveness of technology:The feasibility of rainwater harvesting in Indore is highly

dependent on the amount and intensity of rainfall. As rainfall is usually unevenly distributed
throughout the monsoon season, rainwater harvesting can usually only serve as a
supplementary source of water. The viability of rainwater harvesting systems is also a
function of the awareness among common public, quantity and quality of water available
from other sources, household size, per capita water requirements and available budget.
Finally, effective water harvesting schemes require community awareness and participation
which is enhanced by:
• Awareness and sensitivity to people’s needs
• Indigenous knowledge and local expertise
• Full participation and consideration of gender issues, and
• Taking consideration of prevailing farming systems as well as national policies and
community by- laws.

J.Chem.Bio.Phy.Sci. 2011, 1, (Vo.1) 88-101 100

Rain Water Harvesting … Dheeraj Mandloi et al.

REFERENCES

1. Frasier Gary and Lloyd Myers (1983) Handbook of Water Harvesting. Washington D.C.:
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
2. Arnold Pacey and Adrian Cullis (1986) Rain Water harvesting. USA: Intermediate
Technology Publications.
3. Informations obtained from Govt. Agriculture College, Indore.
4. Field visits to places in and around Indore city in Madhya Pradesh.
5. IS 1172: Indian Standard Code of Basic Requirements for Water Supply, Drainage and
Sanitation.
6. A Water Harvesting Manual for Urban Areas. 2003. New Delhi: Centre for Science and
Environment.
7. Informations obtained from Central Ground Water Board, Bhujal Bhawan, NH-IV,
Faridabad, Ministry of Water Resource,Govt. of India, New Delhi.

*Corresponding Author: Dheeraj Mandloi, Institute of Engineering

& Technology, Devi Ahilya University, Indore

J.Chem.Bio.Phy.Sci. 2011, 1, (Vo.1) 88-101 101