WATER-TO-DO
A lot of students write in, asking what they can do about
protecting the environment. You can begin by catching water. Its easy when you know how.
Illustration by Rajat Baran
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150 years ago, there was no government-supplied piped water. Today there
is, and look at the mess.
Take Delhi's example:
By 2001, Delhi will fall short of water by 932
million litres.
70% of our
drinking water supply comes from that drain known as the Yamuna
50% of this
precious liquid leaks out before it reaches the water treatment plants.
Delhi, like
an octopus with tentacles, reaches far and wide, sucking water from far-off places after
it has finished its own stock. Dams in the Himalayas like the Tehri, Renuka and Kishau are
being built, drowning forests and villages to bring water to the country’s capital.
So what did they do back then?
What they do now! If you go to Churu, Rajasthan, you'll see  flying saucer-like objects
dotting the landscape. These are kundis (picture below) which collect rainwater and
store it for the mercilessly hot dry summer months. Rainwater is harvested in surangams
in Kerala, in zings in Ladakh and in beris in Jaisalmer, catching it to
store for future use. A tried and tested tradition of water harvesting.
Water harvesting – how you do it
There are 3 things to do when harvesting rain.
1. Mark out an area that will be the catchment where you'll 'catch' rainwater. Keep it
as clean as possible.
2. Make sure the water flows underground as soon as possible so that it doesn't
evaporate.
3. Screen out the junk before you collect it.
These simple
drawings show how even a multi-storeyed building can catch rain and store it, as
well as put water back into the water-table. Plese remember that this water should
not be used for drinking and cooking without proper treatment.
| CATCH WATER WHERE IT
FALLS! The President sets a precedent
Guess how much water is used by the President's Estate — 2.5 million litres every
day!! And yet, if you could catch all the rain that fell on it, it would help reduce the
Yamuna's floods! The President of India,
Shri K R Narayanan, has decided to set an example. Centre for Science and Environment was
invited by him to make a plan for water harvesting on the President's Estate. The
President seemed pleased after reading their first
survey report and remarked, "It’s a good beginning".
Chennai: Water relief!
In Chennai, there's always a mad ras, sorry, rush, for water. Remember the pictures on TV
showing people waiting to fill water in lo..o.o..o..n..n..g queues? They were probably
covering scenes in Chennai. Most of the rain it gets slides uselessly into the sea. After
a really bad drought in 1993, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board
wisened up and said, "All special buildings must contain rain water harvesting
measures after January 1, 1994." It was the first Indian city to put the conservation
of rainwater in its laws - water relief!
Delhi schools get into the act
Mrs Usha Srinivasan is the founder of the Sanskriti School in Delhi and puts her beliefs
into action by including water-collecting structures in the school's construction. She
also hopes to recharge groundwater that is being fast depleted in the area. Way to go!!
The students of Tagore International School in Delhi have written in, asking us to tell
them how water harvesting can be done. Divya Saxena, a Class X student of that school,
says, "Our teachers are always telling us about the environmental problems we create,
and to save water and electricity. Ever since I read about CSE’s work in First
City magazine, I've been trying to conserve water and make sure others around me do the
same. Kids like us want to do something — tell us what we can do." Well, Divya,
with a little help from your friends, perhaps you can convince your school to harvest
water. Others have shown the way.
Are there more brave schools ready to risk a
water scarcity-FREE future?
* To
get more information on rainwater harvesting, contact V.S. Saravanan at CSE, or you may
write
to us at Gobar Times |
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A
Down To Earth Supplement
