Standing in a shower may never make you realize how it feels to get drenched when rainwater plays havoc with people elsewhere. Still those who don’t fear pounding water can sensibly resort to store it and use it when it’s needed most. If one does it, the other catches the contagion and likewise, it may and is developing into a trend.
Rainwater harvesting is an old technology, witnessing a renaissance of all kinds to gain popularity in today’s world. The process associates the accumulation and storing of rainwater to further utilize it for domestic and agricultural purposes. There are numerous types of systems to harvest rainwater, ranging from very simple to complex industrial systems. The most popular methods used for harvesting rainwater incorporate ground or rooftop mechanisms.
Why rain water harvesting?:
Rainwater harvesting is the need of today. There are several factors contributing to practice this groundbreaking technique.
• Surface water is insufficient to meet our current requirement so dependence on ground water is the only alternative.
• Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rainwater into the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished.
• Over-exploitation of ground water resource has resulted in decline in water levels in most parts of the country.
• To enhance availability of ground water at specific place and time.
• To beneficiate the water quality in aquifers.
• To reduce soil erosion.
• To raise the water levels in drying wells and bore wells.
• To reduce power consumption
Rainwater harvesting techniques:
In the present scenario, many rainwater-harvesting techniques are being introduced, but surface runoff harvesting and roof top rainwater harvesting still happen to be the most popular.
1. Surface runoff harvesting:
Surface runoff is the excess water from rain, snow melt or other sources that flows over the land surface. This runoff could be harvested by accumulating it and then using it for recharging aquifers by adopting appropriate methods.
2. Rooftop rainwater harvesting:
In the rooftop rainwater harvesting technique, the roof plays the role of the catchments by accumulating the water from the roof to the building. It can either be stored in a tank or diverted to an artificial recharge system. This scheme is very efficient and inexpensive at the same time.