Harvesting of Rain Water

There are numerous ways in which rain water can be harvested, which would also enrich the ground water. These are as follows:

• For a village or small locality, channelising rain water into a pond with a well or deep bore.
• If a medium size plot is available with the home-stead, then a small tank ( 5 to 10 cu.m) can be used, preferably with a deep bore in the tank.
• Roof top harvesting leading channels to a small tank, preferably with a bore well, or directly to a deep bore.

1. Colony or Village Ponds: This is a traditional methods of water harvesting in India. The lowest area near the village or colony is chosen to construct a tank, at the centre of which is a well or a bore-well. All rain water is lead to the tank bearing in mind that house-hold drains are led away from the tank. Fruit trees and those for fire-wood purposes can be planted in the bandh around the tank.
2. Treating of House-Hold Sewage of A Village or Small Colony Where Municipal Drains Are Not Provided: It should be quite easy to treat and re-cycle house-hold sewage of a small colony or village before this is used for agriculture or pisci-culture. A mini 'Eco-Park' with small natural filtration arrangements, duck-weed ponds and fish ponds is enough for such treatment. After testing of water from the fish pond, the same could be used for domestic purposes, other than drinking. Small size trees shoud be planted around the mini 'Eco-Park' .
3. Rain Water Harvesting in A Home-Stead or Building with Large Compound (one acre and above) : Rain water from buildings in a large compound, which begin to flow due to excess rains, should be channelised to a small ponds with a bore well. Ideally, such a tank should be 5 to 10 Cu.M in size and be constucted around a disused bore well. A traditionally open well could also be used for this purpose, if one exists on the plot. In the case of the disused bore-well, the top portion of the metal pipe should be removed or large holes should be bored in the pipe.
4. Roof Top Harvesting in Houses with Small Plots. Governments should encourage roof top harvesting and provide financial assistance for this purpose, so as to improve ground water recharge. Rain water harvesting is achieved in houses with small holdings by collecting water from the most of the roof area in channels through one or two pipes coming down from the roof. This is done using half open metal pipes at the edge of the roofs to lead the water to the appropriate drains. On the ground the drains are channelised towards small ponds of 1 to 2 cu.m. size, with an injection bore. A disused tube well boring or a fresh boring may be used for the purpose. Government assistance could be provided for drilling bore wells, or a rebate on piped water supply could be given to house-holders who carry out rain top harvesting without such assistance.