RAIN WATER HARVESTING IN AN URBAN AREA
(CHENNAI CITY) WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS COASTAL SUBURBS

I. INTRODUCTION

I would like to explain in detail about what is happening in metro cities in so for as the fresh water needs of the residents are concerned. While doing so, I would like to confine myself not only to the city of Chennai, but also to its coastal suburbs. Being located within 1km. From the coast line, the quality and the exploitable quantity of ground water in these suburbs were very good till about 5 years back and has deteriorated quite badly since then. Certain areas in these suburbs have even reported of saline intrusion in the last one year or so. The residents of these suburbs depends very heavily on this aquifer, in addition to the state, whose metro water department has several wells from which around 10% of the city's fresh water needs are met.

While this aquifer is being over exploited a nd damaged, there is no idividual, institution keen to take note of the damage, leave alone protecting it. I am therefore forced to think that both water and rain water havesting are being treated like orphans by everyone concerned. The residents go about sinking deep bore wells close to each other without any control and both the state and central government departments connected with water, unable to restrict it.

II. PRESENT URBAN SCENARIO

The following activities have caused (and continues to do so) considerable damage to the aquifer of the coastal suburbs in particular and the city in general:

1. Increase in extraction due to increase in the number of houses/flat complexes. (Besides individual extraction by the residents, the metro water board has got several wells in these suburbs to supply water to residents in other neighbourhoods.)
2. Indiscriminate paving activity by the society all around the built up area within the compound, particularly by the builders of multi-storeyed residential and commercial complexes and by the state, while laying roads (without leaving any open space on either side) and pedestrian platforms. Such activities prevent rain water from percolating into the soil and results in flooding. This is evident from the fact that flooding has increased over the years in almost all the metro cities in the country.
3. Digging of bore wells without any control on the depth to which they are dug as w ell as the number of such wells in any given area. The coastal aquifer being so fragile, deeper bore wells will result in salt water getting mixed with fresh water zone.
4. Total lack of sincere attempts by the residents harvest rain water within their respective premises. In a large majority of houses, flat complexes, commercial complexes, etc. the rooftop pipes are either directed towards sewerage or allowed to run-off to the streets, either of them being against harvesting. The stagnant run-off water in the roads are collected through storm water drains and dumped into the sea. It is said that in Chennai, one year's requirement of fresh water is allowed to go waste into the sea every year. I am therefore tempted to describe Chennai city as water starved and not rain starved.

As a result, there was a noticeable deterioration in the quality as well as exploitable quantity of ground water, which could be attributed to a lack of awareness regarding the importance of water and rain water harvesting, among various sections of the society. It is therefore of paramount importance to focus attention on ways to create this awareness.

III. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Keeping these factors in mind, I decided to make a door-to-door campaign, six ears back, in the coastal suburbs of Chennai, namely, Besant Nagar and Valmiki Nagar extending over an area of about 8 sq. kms. To some extent, my motivation was also selfish in nature since I have been living in Besant Nagar for more than thirty years and also hope to live in this place for some more years and wanted the ground water to continue to be good and adequate.

During the first four years, my compaign would extend only for four months during July to October, viz. Immediately ofter summer and just before the onset of north-east monsoon. During these four months, I would visit around ten to fifteen houses per day and that too only on Sundays and other public holidays. In every house I would distribute a printed appeal specially prepared for this purpose and also spend time gong around the complex.

In the last two years, the canpaign has been stretched to almost the entire year, except for the monsoon months. The reasons for this are many. Firstly, awareness r egarding rain water harvesting has spread not only among people living in my neighbouhood but also to other localities of Chennai city. Secondly, schools, colleges, residents' welfare associations, clubs evinced keen interest in trying to know more about rain water harvesting. Thirdly, government agencies connected with the welfare of the city and its residents showed interest in implementing rain water harvesting systems in their respective campuses and sought out help.

The reactions of the residents could be summarised as follows:

About fifteen to twenty percent of them were inaccessible either physically or psychologically. Of the remaining eighty percent, twenty percent were not convinced that rain water harvesting would solve their water problems and were willing to surrender their civic rights to the state for some assurances of adequate drinking water supply. The remaining sixty per cent or so, lacked an awareness regarding rain water harvesting and would give me a patient listening, praise my efforts and finally express their inability to even make any sincere attempts. The last sixty per cent of the residents formed my target group.

IV. SUCCESS STORIES

The success stories of the seven year old campaign can be summarised as follows:

· The awareness levels among various sections of the society living in Chennai have gone up.

· Residents living in several multi-storeyed residential complexes, besides independent houses have implemented rain water harvesting in their respective complexes. This has happened in the last one year.

· Some of the state government departments have erected rain water harvesting systems in their respective campuses. This include the TWAD Board, Presidency College, Office of the Director General of Police, Stanley Medical College and Children's park.

· Architects and builders, who had not realised the importance of rain water harvesting till recently, a large number of them have decided to incorporate rain water harvesting structure in all their new projects.

· The Naval Officer in-Charge, Indian Navy, Chennai, has decided to implement rain water harvesting in all premises belonging to them.
A preliminary survey has already been made and a proposal is likely to be submitted for their approval shortly.

· Interest in rain water harvesting has spread to schools and colleges, who have put up models on the subjects in exhibitions and have also presented papers in seminars.

· The print media has also realised its importance and have started writing frequently about it.

· The Rotary Club of Madras, which was involved in desilting of temple tanks within the city in the past, has launched a massive campaign to promote rooftop harvesting not only among their members but also other residents.

· The corporation of Chennai is keen to harvest stagnant rain water on roads instead of directing it into storm water drains. This was evident from the fact that permission was granted to us for digging percolation wells in two public places.

· Rain water harvesting cells have been started by the TWAD and Metro Water Boards and are receiving a number of enquiries from residents. Hon'ble Minister for Local Administration inaugurated an information centre in front of the TWAD Office premises and that seems to attract lot of residents.

· Large industries have also come forward to explore the possibilities of harvesting rain water in their factory premises. This interest has come about because of a directive issued by the Chairperson of Tamilandu Pollution Control Board, that consent for Air and Water Act will be issued in future only industry implements rain water harvesting in their premises. In addition, the industries have also understood the economic benefits of becoming self-sufficient in their water needs.

I would like to place before the residents the following suggestions for promoting rain water harvesting in urban areas:

· Water, which has been taken for granted by the urban residents, should be given more importance besides trying to sustain it through rain water harvesting.

· They should realise that the ultimate source of all fresh water on earth is rain.

· It has to be made clear to the urban residents that in cities, with shrinking of open spaces, rain water will have to be harvested only as ground water and thet the ground water sources will have to be sustained only through harvesting.

· The fact that in urban areas, waste waste water does not prove beneficial to them as it happens in rural areas will have to be realised.

· Preference should be given for open wells wherever possible and avoid digging bore wells, particularly in places close to the coast.

· Care should be taken not to let rain water into sewerage and make sincere attempts to harvest it.

· Finally, residents should have a sense of pride in harvesting the rain water that falls within their premises and thus becoming self-sufficient.

V. CONCLUSINON

While individuals have been able to popularise rain water harvesting and convince quite a number of residents to implement rain water harvesting systems in their respective flat complexes, it is possible to make this campaing into a mass movement with the help of union and State Governments. What is required is not merely financial support but also moral support primarily from the Central and other State Government departments to create an awareness about the importance of ground water resource and the need to sustain it in urban areas, through rain water harvesting.