Rainwater Harvesting and Watershed Management

Some Facts about Water

Only 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater and most of this are in the form of
polar ice-caps.
Water use has increased by 70% since 1970
A recent report by Credit Suisse stated that by 2025 18 countries will experience
water demand beyond supply capabilities
It takes up to 5000 lt of water to produce 1kg of rice.
Every square mile of developed land causes 16 million gallons of rain water to
directly enter the rivers on a rainy day!
Each person uses about 150 litres of water every day. About 60 litres of this is
for toilet flushing
Toilet flushing is the single largest user of household water, 30-40%, up to 90%
for offices.
What is Water harvesting??

Water harvesting is the capture, diversion, and storage of water obtained from
different freshwater sources for plant irrigation, domestic purposes, industrial
purposes, groundwater recharge and other uses.
Rainwater harvesting [RWH]

It is a type of water harvesting.

It can be defined as the system of collection and concentration of rain water
and its run off and its productive use for :-
a) Irrigation of annual crops pastures and trees.
b) Domestic and livestock consumption.
c) Groundwater recharge.
Need For Rainwater Harvesting

Major parts of our country have been facing continuous failure of monsoon and
consequent deficit of rainfall over the last few years.
Also, due to ever increasing population of India, the use of ground water has
increased drastically leading to constant depletion of ground water level causing
the wells and tube wells to dry up.
In some places, excessive heat waves during summer create a situation similar to
drought.
It is imperative to take adequate measures to meet the drinking water needs of the
people in the country besides irrigation and domestic needs.
Out of 8760 hours in a year, most of the rain in India falls in just 100 hours.
 Improve
living
conditions.

Recharge Substitute
ground ground-
water. water.

Goals

Reduce soil
Reduce
erosion
flood risk.
risk.
Rainwater can be harvested in a variety of ways:

Rainwater can be harvested in a variety of ways:

Directly from roof tops and stored in tanks.
Monsoon run off and water in swollen streams during the monsoon and storing it in
underground tanks.
Water from flooded rivers can be stored in small ponds.
Collection and transfer of rainwater into percolation tanks so as to facilitate
discharge into ground.
Components of RWH

Catchment

Delivery

Storage
Models of RWH

There are two main models of rainwater harvesting done in India:-

RURAL MODEL.
URBAN MODEL.
Rural model of RWH

Rural areas generally use traditional methods of rainwater harvesting.

Main motive of rainwater harvesting in these areas is to facilitate irrigation for
agriculture and use of water for domestic and drinking purposes.
Nowadays practices are also been followed to as to recharge groundwater levels.
Many of the traditional structures include Tankas, Nadis, Talabs, Bavdis, Rapats,
Kuis, Virdas, Kunds, Khadins, Johads etc.
 •Kunds
•Covered
underground tank,
Bawodi
developed primarily
Traditional step wells are called vavadi in Gujarat, or baoris or bavadis in Rajasthan and

for tackling drinking

northern India.

water problems.
Khadin Bund
Urban Model of RWH

More modernized system of rainwater harvesting.

The main components of the urban model are:-
a) Roof catchment
b) Gutters
c) Down pipe
d) First flush pipe
e) Filter unit
f) Storage tank
g) Collection pit.
Components of Urban RWH models

Storage Tank Pipe System

Advantages

• RWH provides a good supplement to other water sources thus relieving pressure
on other water sources.
• It can supply as a buffer and can be used in times of emergency or breakdown of
public water supply systems.
• Helps reduce the storm drainage load and flooding in the cities.
• It is a flexible technology and can be built to require meets of any range. Also the
construction, operation and maintenance is not very labour intensive in most
systems.
• Prevents water wastage by arresting run off as well as prevents soil erosion and
mitigates flood.
• Sustains and safeguards existing water table through recharge.
• Arrests sea-water intrusion and prevents salination of ground water.
• Rainwater harvesting can reduce salt accumulation in the soil which can be harmful
to root growth. When rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces the salts down and
away from the root zone area. This allows for greater root growth and water
uptake, which increases the drought tolerance of plants.
• Rain-water is a clean and pure source of drinking water which requires minimal
Disadvantages

• In terms of complex constructions, there is a requirement for high costs, trained

professionals.
• Maintenance costs may add to the monetary burden.
• If not maintained properly then it can cause various problems in terms of algal
or bacterial growth.
• Tanks if not constructed properly might result in leakages and metal tanks may
also lead to problems such as corrosion harming the water quality.
• All these factors might prove harmful and result in various kinds of health
issues.
• The system is very much rainfall dependent and hence if there are problems
with the rainfall in the area, it may not be very effective.
Future of Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater harvesting systems serve as an alternative decentralized water source

especially in the age when groundwater supplies are depleting and municipal
water infrastructures are facing high replacement costs.
• The use of decentralized rainwater harvesting systems is growing nationally and
internationally, especially in industrial countries like Asia, Europe and the US.
Watershed Management

What is a watershed??
Watersheds can be defined as a geo-hydrological unit draining to a common point
by a system of drains. All lands on earth are part of one watershed or other.
Watershed is thus the land and water area, which contributes runoff to a
common point.
For example, the watershed of a lake would include not only the streams entering
that lake but also the land area that drains into those streams and eventually
the lake.
Classifications of Watersheds

Macro Watershed
(> 50,000 Hect)

Sub-Watershed
(10,000 to 50,000 Hect)

Milli-Watershed
(1000 to10000 Hect)

Micro-Watershed
(100 to 1000 Hect)

Mini-Watershed
(1-100 Hect)
Watershed Mangement – Definition

The process of creating and implementing plans, programs, and projects to sustain
and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal, and human
communities within a watershed boundary.
Watershed management is the integrated use of land, vegetation and water in a
geographically discrete drainage area for the benefit of its residents, with the
objective of protecting or conserving the hydrologic services that the watershed
provides and of reducing or avoiding negative downstream or groundwater
impacts. Fresh water, and freshwater ecosystems, is the most basic components
of watershed management.
Need for Watershed Management.

In spite of sufficient rainfall, people have to depend upon tankers for their domestic
water supply in summers in most of the areas. This is mainly due to large runoff
which is responsible for water loss as well as soil loss of the land.
A raindrop, when flows along the slope, carries the loose soil along it. In this case
the topmost layer of soil is lost rapidly. Due to high intensity rainfall, it is
estimated that, more than 100 tons of soil is lost .
Objectives of Watershed management

To control damaging runoff and degradation and thereby conservation of soil and
water.
To manage and utilize the runoff water for useful purpose.
To protect, conserve and improve the land of watershed for more efficient and
sustained production.
To protect and enhance the water resource originating in the watershed.
To check soil erosion and to reduce the effect of sediment yield on the watershed.
To rehabilitate the deteriorating lands.
To moderate the floods peaks at downstream areas.
To increase infiltration of rainwater.
To improve and increase the production of timbers, fodder and wild life resource.
To enhance the ground water recharge, wherever applicable.
Watershed Mangement Practises

Conserving soil and water.

Improving the ability of land to hold water.
Rainwater harvesting and recharging.
Growing greenery – trees, crops and grasses.
Advantages/Future Of WSM

Watershed Development program is a revolutionary program aimed at fulfilling the

water needs in the water scarce areas.
In areas where there is inadequate water supply watershed management offers an
ideal solution.
It helps in utilizing the primary source of water and prevents the runoff from going
into sewer or storm drains, thereby reducing the load on treatment plants.
If we take steps to encourage each drop of rainfall to penetrate in the ground at
the point where it strikes earth, it will result in addition of one drop to our useful
water supply and subtraction of one drop from a potential flood.