RAINWATER HARVESTING

WHAT IS RAINWATER HARVESTING ? Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. It ALSO means capturing rain where it falls or capturing the run off in your own village or town. And taking measures to keep that water clean by not allowing polluting activities to take place in the catchment.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF RAINWATER HARVESTING IN INDIA Tankas Tankas (small tank) are underground tanks, found traditionally in most Bikaner houses. Khadin A khadin, also called a dhora, is an ingenious construction designed to harvest surface runoff water for agriculture. Its main feature is a very long (100-300 m). Vav / vavdi / Baoli / Bavadi Traditional stepwells are called vav or vavadi in Gujarat, or baolis or bavadis in Rajasthan and northern India Ahar Pynes This traditional floodwater harvesting system is indigenous to south Bihar. Zings Zings are water harvesting structures found in Ladakh. They are small tanks, in which collects melted glacier water.

RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM IN INDIA

RAINWATER HARVESTING OUTSIDE INDIA Currently in China and Brazil, rooftop rainwater harvesting is being practiced for providing drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and a way to replenish ground water levels. In Bermuda, the law requires all new construction to include rainwater harvesting adequate for the residents. The U.S. Virgin Islands have a similar law. In the United Kingdom water butts are often found in domestic gardens to collect rainwater which is then used to water the garden. However, the British government's Code For Sustainable Homes encourages fitting large underground tanks to new-build homes to collect rainwater for flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars. This reduces by 50% the amount of mains water used by the home In Beijing, some housing societies are now adding rain water in their main water sources after proper treatment. In Australia rainwater harvesting is typically used to supplement the reticulated mains supply. In south east Queensland, households that harvested rainwater doubled each year from 2005 to 2008, reaching 40% penetration at that time

RAINWATER HARVESTING OUTSIDE INDIA

METHODS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING TRADITIONAL METHODS Kunds of the Thar Desert- In one of the driest places on earth civilization thrived due to systems that harvested rain water for use all year round. Bamboo Drip Irrigation of the Northeastern Hills-The Northeastern Hill region has a unique system of drip irrigation that harvests rainwater using bamboo pipes. Kul Irrigation of the Trans-Himalaya-Despite receiving little rainfall because of being in the Himalayan rain shadow, the people of the Spiti valley have made use of melting glacier water to feed their agricultural needs.

TRADITIONAL METHODS PICS Kul Irrigation of the Trans-Himalaya Bamboo Drip Irrigation KUNDS OF THAR DESERT

MODERN WAY OF RAINWATER HARVESTING Groundwater Dams-A good way to harvest rainwater.  See the detailed instructions and diagrams Rashtrapati Bhavan-A look at the system employed by the President of India to harvest rainwater on the Rastrapati Bhavan grounds.  This is one of the largest rainwater harvesting systems in the world. Ferrocement Tanks-A low cost solution to storing harvested water that is easy and efficient.  It uses simple materials and can be adapted to any region and for any purpose.

Rashtrapati Bhavan HARVESTING SYSTEM MODERN METHODS PICS Ferrocement Tanks Rashtrapati Bhavan HARVESTING SYSTEM GROUND WATER DAMS

BENEFITS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING By capturing water directly, we can significantly reduce our reliance on water storage dams. This places less stress on these water storages and can potentially reduce the need to expand these dams or build new ones. Collecting and using your own water can also significantly reduce your water bills. By capturing water, the flow of storm water is also reduced and this minimises the likelihood of overloading the storm water systems in our neighbourhoods. drinking, cooking, bathing (potable quality) swimming pool replenishment toilet flushing laundry (reduces detergent & bleach) landscape irrigation livestock & animals

PICS OF BENEFITS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING

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