The Hindu 14.06.2013

Awareness programme on rainwater harvesting

Mayor P. Karthiyayini speaking at an awareness programme at the Corporation Council hall, in Vellore on Thursday— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

The Town Planning Officer of Vellore Corporation, Kannan, gave a power point presentation on rainwater harvesting, at a consultation-cum-awareness meeting of councillors convened by Vellore Mayor P. Karthiyayini here on Thursday, to seek their cooperation in implementing the rainwater harvesting (RWH) scheme in Vellore Corporation.

The Mayor said that the indiscriminate strewing of garbage, especially plastics blocked the process of seepage of rainwater in many places. This prevented the recharge of the groundwater table which had depleted on account of the drought conditions prevailing in Vellore.

Carry the message

The councillors should carry the message of rainwater harvesting to the residents in their wards in order to conserve the rainwater and prevent water scarcity, she said.

Mr. Kannan explained with illustrations of models in Chennai the different types of RWH structures.

Rainwater could be harvested by allowing the rainwater flowing through the outlet pipes from the terrace to seep through a thick top layer of sand and a bottom layer of stone jelly or broken bricks in recharge trenches.

Alternatively, rainwater could also be allowed to be collected in underground shallow recharge wells built with porous brick walls. Another method was to collect the rainwater in a ground-level sump after filtration, and conveying overflowing filtered water to the existing open well. The rainwater could also be linked to functioning borewells, he said.

The TPO said that rainwater could be harvested in all types of houses including slums.