Rain Water Harvesting1.0 - Google Play

Water has been harvested in India since antiquity, with our ancestors perfecting the art of water management. Many water harvesting structures and water conveyance systems specific to the eco-regions and culture has been developed.

here’s how you can gather those precious drops by making your own rainwater harvesting system at home. Now is the time to become a water wise warrior!

- Install a Rain Barrel : The easiest way to harvest rain is through a rain barrel (make your own from a large trash can or an old drum) linked to a pipe fitted to collect rainwater from the rooftop and verandah of the house.To prevent the barrel from becoming a mosquito breeding ground, fasten a tight-fitting top to it, and screen the ends of the downspouts leading into the barrels. Or simply add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the stored rainwater. It coats the water’s surface and kills larvae by depriving them of oxygen.

- Create a Rain Garden : A rain garden is a sunken landscape that uses native plants, local soil, and mulch to remove pollutants from water, and allows it to percolate into the ground. It’s easy to create, looks good all year-round and has a positive impact on the environment. Here’s how to make a rain garden in your own backyard.

- Make your own Rain Chain : Rain chains are not only beautiful, simple to make requiring few tools and materials, but also a more attractive alternative to standard PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe downspouts. These fun, fashionable and environment-friendly accessories help avoid the runoff by transporting rainwater from the collecting pipe downwards to a drain or to a storage container. Check out the instructions for DIY rain chains here and decide which one would look great in your home!

- Naturally recharge your wells and borewells : Rooftop rainwater is led through pipes with a filter at the end to open dug wells for replenishing underground aquifers. Based on this idea, the ‘Mazhapolima’ (bounty of rain) Recharge Project of Thrissur was born. As a result, today, not only is there abundant water in summer, there is also reduced salinity, turbidity, and colour in the well water.

A recharge pit for borewells is also a good idea as it pushes back the surface water into the groundwater system. Usually, a recharge pit is one metre in diameter and six metres deep, lined with concrete rings having perforations. These perforations let filtered and de-silted water seep from the sides increasing the groundwater table.