RAIN WATER HARVESTING AND ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE TO GROUND WATER
WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING :
The principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface.
An old technology is gaining popularity in a new way. Rain water harvesting is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the world, but it traces its history to biblical times. Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece. In ancient Rome, residences were built with individual cisterns and paved courtyards to capture rain water to augment water from city's aqueducts. As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded rain water and used it for irrigation dams.
WHY RAIN WATER HARVESTING :
Rain water harvesting is essential because :-
Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water.
Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished.
As you read this guide, seriously consider conserving water by harvesting and managing this natural resource by artificially recharging the system. The examples covering several dozen installations successfully operating in India constructed and maintained by CGWB, provide an excellent snapshot of current systems.of these tanks for conversion into plots for houses.
Free flow of storm run off into these tanks and water bodies must be ensured. The storm run off may be diverted into the nearest tanks or depression, which will create additional recharge.
Urbanisation effects on Groundwater Hydrology :
Increase in water demand
More dependence on ground water use
Over exploitation of ground water
Increase in run-off, decline in well yields and fall in water levels
Reduction in open soil surface area
Reduction in infiltration and deterioration in water quality
Methods of artificial recharge in urban areas