But a very important aspect of Monsoon and in fact any rainy day is the amount of precious fresh water which simply runs off. In a world where clean water is nothing short of a challenge, and water scarcity ails every big city and small town, harvesting rainwater is perhaps the wisest move to make.
Historically, the fortresses which adorn the map of India, have always worked out means of harvesting rainwater. This had more to do with the self-sufficiency of a fortress for long duration (a siege) though. But today, the need and urge to conserve water is what drives the practice of rainwater harvesting all across the globe. There are several advantages of harvesting rainwater. It provides you with an independent supply of water and can be extremely handy during a drought.
Also, ground water recharge takes time and harvested rainwater can step in to ease the pressure on wells tube wells. It is a cheap and sustainable source of fresh water and is extremely easy to use. Lastly, rainwater harvesting can prove to be useful in the field of agriculture by providing an alternate source of irrigation. We have some brilliant examples of rainwater harvesting in India. These few cities and states have really changed the way rainwater harvesting is viewed.
In the year 2001, Chennai finally decided to tackle the problem of water scarcity. Rainwater harvesting was made compulsory for all houses in the city. And today, Chennai is home to over 5, 00,000 rainwater harvesting systems, highest for any city in the world. Bangalore is not too far behind with rainwater harvesting being made compulsory in the city. Moreover, the state government also provides guidance and training on methods of rainwater harvesting. Even Kerala houses some 4.5 million open wells, the largest density of open wells for any place in the world. Simply speaking, the idea of rainwater harvesting has received a good and positive response from the general public.
They say you must make hay while the sun shines. Adding a little bit of relevance to the saying, we thus quote: save water while the clouds rain. Water saved is basically water earned. Moreover, the fact that rainwater harvesting is getting cheaper day by day, should encourage more and more people. Don’t let the precious Monsoon rains go waste. It is high time that you struck a conversation about rainwater harvesting among your friends and family. The long-term benefits are too good to ignore.
(Featured Image Credit: indianexpress.com)