The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Now the focus is on rainwater harvesting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 02, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Now the focus is on rainwater harvesting

K. Lakshmi

Time to check RWH structures

— Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Success story: The rainwater harvesting system in Triplicane Parthasarathy Temple tank has proven successful. The rainwater from the streets is routed into the tank.

CHENNAI: With another monsoon round the corner, the significance of proper maintenance of rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures and awareness levels among residents on harnessing water is back in focus.

The rainwater harvesting resource persons in the city point out that this is the best time to check and prepare the RWH structures for better returns of the monsoon. Though most households in the city have installed such structures, their maintenance remains a question, say RWH resource persons.

As there has not been any survey on the RWH structures maintenance except a few random checks made by Chennai Metrowater’s Rainwater Harvesting Cell, several voluntary organisations stress the need to check the structures’ efficiency.

A simple method suggested by the resource persons was to observe the percolation of water during rains or by pouring water into the structure. If there was an overflowing of water, the silt accumulated in the system needed to be cleared. A Metrowater official said most households in the city adopted roof-top harvesting system, which was the simplest and the best harnessing method. He suggested that the pipes connecting the rooftop and the recharge structures be checked for leakages.

The filter materials, pebbles or gravel, have to be cleaned before the rains. Another layer of sand filter can be added for further purification of rainwater, he added.

The RWH Cell provided free advice about the maintenance of the structures besides monitoring the water level and quality. It can be contacted at 28454080.

Director of Rain Centre Sekhar Raghavan said recharge wells must also be desilted periodically to reap the benefit of showers. However, cleaning of percolation pits may be impossible as it resembled a borewell with a four inch pipe laid at least 20 feet deep. This kind of RWH system would function only for a few years and residents may have to replace it later.

He also suggested that the driveway runoff water also be harnessed by diverting water to recharge structure with a perforated lid. Residents can initially use the water from shallow wells that recharges faster for judicious management of resources. The deep borewells, which take long to recharge, may be used later.

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