The Times of India 23.03.2017
Corporation to set up rainwater harvesting cell to disseminate information
TNN | Updated: Mar 23, 2017, 01.00 AM IST
Madurai: With the city facing its worst water crisis in 142 years this
year, the Madurai Corporation has decided to establish a rainwater harvesting
cell, through which residents can get technical details on its setting
up and maintenance, corporation commissioner, Sandeep Nanduri said on
Wednesday. The cell would be set up in co-ordination with the Young
Indians chapter of the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and
Rainstock, an organisation into rainwater harvesting.
Nanduri was speaking at the ‘World Water Day’ event organised by the
corporation at the Gandhi Museum campus in Madurai on Wednesday. He said
that this was by far the most important event being conducted by the
Madurai Corporation and the importance of conserving and saving water
was a message that has to be taken to all.
Water awareness will be intensified in the city corporation limits in
the next two months, before the next monsoon to harvest the rain, he
said. While many houses having already established their own structures,
as there is a government order which makes it mandatory, campus
rainwater harvesting systems in large complexes and institutions are to
be intensified, he said. These structures set up over a decade ago have
to be maintained regularly, he added.
Collector K Veera Raghava Rao, who flagged off the World Water Day
rally in which hundreds of students from many city colleges participated
said that students of both schools and colleges in the districts should
act as ambassadors of water conservation.
He urged the students to take the message on water conservation to all
the 1946 hamlets in the district and said that the district
administration was ready to help them in this initiative. The only
solace is that this March, the district received four times more than
its average rainfall, which helped it have water for an additional 15
days. “Just imagine what we would have to face if the failure of just
two monsoons, led the district to face the worst drought in 142 years,”
he said.
Chairman, CII Madurai Zone P Srinivasavaradhan said that the CII would
work in co-ordination with the district administration to maintain
water bodies in the district.