The southern state of Tamil Nadu is one of the worst hit this year. The situation, according to experts, has worsened in the wake of soaring temperature, dearth of rainfall, drying up of reservoirs, wells, lakes and delayed monsoon.?
The city in fact, comes under the list of those likely to run out of ground water by 2020. The situation is more than just scary and so, residents have been forced to take sustainable steps to conserve water.?
Residents of Sabari Terrace in Chennai's Sholinganallur area have shown just how effective rainwater harvesting can be in s state of severe water crisis. The apartment complex which started investing in rainwater harvesting system inn 2017 November are more than just thankful for this time.
According to an NDTV report, the rainwater system in the complex helped the residents collect thirty thousand litres in a little over an hour by harvesting every drop of rain from their 25,000 square foot terrace.
A TOI report states that rainwater harvesting system in the housing complex was set up by?Rain Centre, a Chennai-based NGO.?
The building's terraces are connected to let rainwater into two tanks of 3,000 litre capacity each, where water is allowed to stay to allow mud and solid particles to settle down, reports TOI.?
The tanks are connected to the underground sump of 100,000 litres from where water goes to a treatment plant,?and is collected in another sump to be directed for use.?
Back in 2018 when the fifty-six apartments in four blocks of Sabari Terrace Complex in Sholinganallur participated in the rainwater harvesting drive, the pump was filled to the brim in just a span of three days – from October 29 to October 31 – when the city registered a total rainfall of around three hours.?
2019, is a success story yet again!?Harsha Koda, head of the project and also secretary of the residents association, told NDTV, "If it rains today we collect the water and in two hours we get to use. Thirty thousand litres means we save around Rs. 5,000."
Harsha Koda and his wife Prabha Koda has been the main crusaders of rainwater harvesting since 2017.?
The NDTV report quoted Prabha Koda as saying,"We have a 25,000 square foot terrace and we get at least 25,000 litres in an hour. If there's a three-hour downpour we collect one lakh litres, completely filling up our tanks with rain water sufficient for the 56 flats for three days."
Reports state that?the design for the network of pipes leading to the sump was conceptualised by Prabha Koda, with guidance from Dr Sekhar Raghavan of Rain Centre.
For those unaware, Chennai resident Sekhar Raghavan once advocated that rainwater is the only way to quench the city’s thirst. Fondly known as the ‘Rain man’, Raghavan took it upon himself and went door to door telling people the need for rain water harvesting.
Residents across the cities are now inspired by the Sabari Terrace complexs' success in rainwater harvesting and trying their best to emulate the same model to beat the water crisis that has gripped the city.?
Back in 2001 when Jayalalitha became the Chief Minister, the government made huge strides in rain water harvesting, and Sekar in turn helped cover the 90 per cent of the city with ways and models to implement the same.