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This workshop will provide information and assistance on rainwater harvesting, a sustainable method to collect and use rainwater. Learn about the successes, issues, and potential solutions for implementing rainwater harvesting in Chennai.
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WORKSHOP ON EVOLVINGINTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENTFOR CHENNAI CITYMarch 1, 2012
SEKHAR RAGHAVAN DIRECTOR, RAIN CENTRE, CHENNAI, INDIA Ph: 0091- 44- 2461 6134 EMAIL: sekar1479@yahoo.co.in Website:www.raincentre.net
THIS FIRST RAIN CENTRE IN THE COUNTRY WAS SET UP IN CHENNAI BY AKASH GANGA TRUST WAS INAGURATED BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU IN AUGUST 2002
RAIN CENTREIS A ONE-STOP INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE CENTRE FOR RAINWATER HARVESTING
RAINWATER HARVESTING • COLLECTING RAINWATER WHEN AND WHERE IT FALLS FOR USE DURING NON-MONSOON MONTHS
RAINWATER HARVESTING IS NOT A NEW TECHNOLOGY NOR AN ALTERNATIVE BUT THE ONLY WAY TO SUSTAIN SURFACE AND SUB-SOIL SOURCES
SINCE RAIN IS THE PREDOMINANT SOURCE OF ALL FRESH WATER ON EARTHTHE OTHER BEING MELTING OF ICEBOTH ARE PRIMARY SOURCES
Salient features of Rural Harvesting * Mostly Traditional * At the macro level/Community effort * In surface water bodies * Buy One : get one free * Groundwater recharge was free
Salient features of Urban Harvesting * Due to shrinking of open spaces & indiscriminate paving * Rain can be harvested predominantly as sub-soil water * At both macro and micro levels * Through artificial recharge
Efforts made by the state to promote RWH in Chennai city * CMDA Notification dated 1.1.1994 * Five different methods were allowed in 1997 * RWH was in the election manifesto * A high-level committee was formed to promote RWH in the entire state - June 2001 under MAWS Secretary
Efforts made by the state to promote RWH in Chennai city * Intense awareness raising activities carried out in the entire state * Two Rain centres were set up in Chennai and one each in the Dist. Collector’s offices. RWH cell was created in CMWSSB office * A propaganda van was made which went around the city
Efforts made by the state to promote RWH in Chennai city * Training programmes in RWH methodology was organised by CMWSSB in their training centre * The T.N. Municipalities Building rules Act (1972) was amended to make RWH compulsory in all buildings – Oct. 2002 * The deadline for implementation was originally - Oct. 2003
Efforts made by the state to promote RWH in Chennai city * An ordinance was issued on July 16, 2003 advancing the deadline to August 31, 2003 • This left only a month and a half for the entire state to implement RWH • The govt. claimed 99% compliance
Efforts made by the society to promote RWH in Chennai city * Prof. Indiresan and K.R.Gopinath organised a seminar on RWH in the early 90s sponsored by the Rotary club of Ambattur * Rotary club of Madras renovated a few temple tanks around the same time * Alacrity Foundation started implementing RWH in their complexes
Efforts made by the society to promote RWH in Chennai city * I got involved in a door to door campaign in Besant Nagar in 1995 * The print media started giving publicity to RWH from 1996 onwards * CSE organised a National conference on urban RWH in New Delhi in 1998
Efforts made by the society to promote RWH in Chennai city * A few individuals like Ramani had implemented RWH in their houses * NRI Ram Krishnan extended financial support in June 2001 * The Akash Ganga Trust was formed and the first Rain Centre was set up in Chennai in August 2002
SUCCESSES(Due to the joint efforts of the state and the society) * Awareness levels have gone up among various sections of the society * RWH was mandated by the Govt. of Tamil Nadu (the only state in India) * RWH plus good monsoon in 2005 led to phenomenal rise in groundwater levels
SUCCESSES • Improvement in quality as well – sustained till today * Chennai is no longer water starved and it was never rain starved
SUCCESSES * The temple tanks have come back alive * Our efforts have spread to not only other states in India but also to Sri Lanka
ISSUES * Though RWH was mandated its Implementation was far from satisfactory * A survey revealed that only 50% have done it reasonably well * The law itself was not complete and clear
ISSUES * It mentioned only rooftop harvesting * Surface runoff harvesting was not considered at all * Not much about the correct choice and design of RWH structures
ISSUES * Monitoring and evaluation of the systems were done only by the Govt. departments * Hence not carried out well: also due to lack of time * It was also taken to be a time bound law
ISSUES * Citizens have not shown much interest in RWH subsequently * New projects completed after 2004 have not taken RWH seriously * Not much interest is shown at the macro level
ISSUES * No sincere attempt is made to harvest the urban runoff flowing in the SWDs except in a few temple tanks • There is a lack of coordination between Chennai Corporation and CMWSSB in harnessing the runoff
ISSUES * No sincere attempt is being made to recover, repair the traditional water bodies in peri-urban areas * Solid and liquid waste is being dumped into all of them
ISSUES * Even after a decade of intense campaigning RWH has not become as popular as one would have liked * The awareness raising campaign phase has almost ended
ISSUES * Municipal supply has been reasonably good since 2005 : hence people are not looking at RWH
ISSUES * Indiscriminate sanctioning of building plans (without seriously taking into account the water and sewerage needs) * Crisis in cities like Chennai appears to be manmade and deliberate
The three mantras of IWRM in cities are 1. RWH for sustaining the surface and sub-soil fresh water sources 2. Reuse/Recycle of waste (used) water 3. Learning to live with less water and of different qualities for different end uses
* Awareness raising activities to be continued with state’s patronage * Seminars and Workshops on RWH and their maintenance for Citizens and Builders (in particular) by CMDA and CMWSSB
* Municipal water to be metered with dual tariff* High During monsoon and low during non-monsoon months to encourage more people to collect rainwater
* Storm water drain dept. to be brought under CMWSSB from COC * Both are under MAWS Secretary* Third party monitoring of RWH systems to be done by NGOs like the Rain Centre
* Indukanth and myselfhave made the following observations1. The shallow aquifer is shrinking in certain areas (due to construction of high rise buildings)2. Conjunctive use of aquifers and its need and relevance
Groundwater potential of Chennai city should be mapped to be user friendly for the citizensLarge quantity of rainwater is put into the sea almost every yearIs it possible to use it for recharging the aquifer and prevent saline intrusion?
Arrangements to be made in all the temple tanks in Chennai to receive the urban runoff Urban flooding should be prevented rather than cured
IN URBAN AREAS RWH TO BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY FOR BOTH COLLECTION AND RECHARGE THIS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE BOTH BY THE SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT
IF THERE IS STILL A DEMAND AFTER HARVESTING ALL RAINWATER THEN WE CAN CHOOSE OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS LIKEREVERSE OSMOSIS ETC.