Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeOpinionDiaryAvoid wastage of water

Avoid wastage of water

- Advertisement -

Due to weak monsoon the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has announced 20 per cent water cut in the city. The stock of water available in the dams is insufficient to meet the metropolis needs for next year. Water levels in reservoirs are 28 per cent lower than the same period last year, and 25 per cent lower when compared to the average between 2005-2014. Rain Water harvesting is a new approach to solve the water shortage problem. The existence of water harvesting systems in India has a very long history. The use of artificial storage facilities within a rain water harvesting system requires exact calculation regarding their storage capacity depending on its intensive costs and other over heads.  It is indeed quite imperative to have a National Policy to make Rain Water Harvesting mandatory and proper planning is required to tap the resource from the grassroots level. In cities like Chennai, Rain Harvesting is made compulsory in all the Housing Societies and the builders are given permission to construct buildings only when there is provision for such an arrangement.

There are so many available sites in Mumbai and other parts of the satellite city unless we take proper steps to implement the project in right spirits.  The wastage of rain water is to be stored and preserved for future use. Not all the rain that falls can actually be collected. Efficiency is usually presumed to be more than 80 per cent depending on system design and capacity. Therefore, a 1200 square foot roof will collect 1100 gallons of water on a day with two inches of rainfall. Using this formula and region’s average rainfall numbers combined with an estimated water need, you should be able to calculate the approximate size of your tank or the so called Barrel System. This takes care of the requirement of a few. Harvesting rainwater in bulk quantities, which can cater to the needs of larger community, though out the year requires large space in location. Big Housing complexes can go for such a scheme to cater to the needs of huge population residing in prestigious complexes.

Instead of wasting space at focal points in the building complex, a large tank can be made from materials such as cement or metal is made available for storing water in large quantities. The height of this mammoth tank could be raised to a minimum of 20 feet, so as to allow for natural gravitational force and also allow the racing to happen undisturbed as continuous process. Stitch in time saves nine is really true.  If we store rain water during monsoon season, the same can be used during acute shortage for washing and in case surplus water is available, then that can be used for watering the gardens surroundings of big buildings. Rain water harvesting is the need of the hour. There is no doubt about it.

We are all very much concerned about water that is so essential for life. Water wastage is to be prevented at all levels. BMC should take proper care of the sources of supply and prevent water wastage. Water starved city is facing repeated bursting of pipelines and leakage of pipes in the recent months sending millions of litres of usable water down thereby causing inconvenience to people. The civic body needs to work on war footing to replace the old pipelines and plug the leakage at focal points to save water from going waste. People on their part should play a pivotal role and avoid wasting of water. Around 76 million litres of water is wasted due to leakages and thefts which is a huge loss and it is time to plug the holes and save water.

C.K. Subramaniam

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Latest

Must Read

- Advertisement -

Related News