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Chennai is facing its worst water crisis in decades. People are standing in long queues waiting for water tankers to get their share of water for daily use. While Chennai is the first metro city to be facing this crisis, a report by NITI Aayog, an organization of Government of India that aims at sustainable development goals, has released the results of a study conducted by them, which suggests many parts of India may soon run out of ground water.
Image Source: Inidan Express
Rain water harvesting, though an old technique, is not readily known to Indians. As the name suggests, rain water harvesting is stocking of rain water for later use. This method can be easily practiced at individual homes, in societies and offices.
Here is an example. In a standard house with a roof area of 100m2, located in an area of low rainfall (600mm per year), approximately 48000L of water can be saved in a year. This way, we won’t have to completely depend on ground water, thereby giving ample time for the ground water to rejuvenate.
Given how fast we are running out of water resources, rain water harvesting has become the need of the hour and we must embrace it, lest it’s too late.
