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Concept note on Drinking water security through rain water

harvesting and recharging.


Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. It is vital for all known forms of life. The
human body contains from 55% to 78% water, depending on body size. To function
properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water per day to avoid
dehydration; the precise amount depends on the level of activity, humidity, temperature
and other factors. Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other life forms even
though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. Impurities in drinking water are the root
cause for the most of the diseases in human being. Impurities may be of any kind like
undissolved suspended particles, dissolved chemical. Now a days fluorides and arsenic are
mainly found in water which is not only affecting the health of the human being but also
deformities in the body by which man is not even able to perform his daily activity. Growth
of countrys economy is also affected directly as human resources are not used for any
productivity.
Main resources of water are lakes, ponds, river, ground water etc; but rain is the
mother of all resources. Water is contaminated now a days at the main source itself. Over
extraction of ground water, lack of rain water recharge, discharge of untreated chemical
water from factories are main root causes for water pollution. Due to many reasons this
polluted water is being consumed by the human beings without any proper treatment, thus
creating health problem.

1.Total dissolved solids exceeding 1500 mg /lit may cause stomach disorders and gives
brackish taste of water.
2.Fluoride crossing 1.5 mg /lit causes flourosis leading to diseases like arthritis,
bending of bones, joint pains, tooth decay etc.
3.Aluminum in excess of just 1 mg /lit may cause dementia (mental ability
disorders) even madness.
4.Chromium, Arsenic, lead etc. are toxic and poisonous if present more than 0.10 mg/lit.
5.Nitrates more than 45 mg/lit may cause blue baby disease in infants.
6.Sulphates crossing limit of over 200 mg/lit leads to gastrointestinal disorders.
7.Iron in excess of 0.30 mg/lit is poisonous and sometimes causes blood cancer.
8.Colliform bacterias in more than 10 counts per hundred milliliters may cause
Infectious diseases like diarrhea, colitis, typhoid etc.
Fluoride is frequently encountered in minerals and in geochemical deposits and is
generally released into subsoil water sources by slow natural degradation of fluorine
contained in rocks. Even though extensive studies have been conducted, there seems to be
no effective cure for these diseases. Therefore, it is desirable to drink water having a
fluoride concentration less than 1mg for drinking water. Fluoride crossing 1.5 mg/lit causes
flourosis leading to diseases like arthritis, bending of bones, joint pains, tooth decay etc.
Arsenic, Chromium, lead etc. are toxic and poisonous if present more than 0.10 mg/lit.

Fluoride affected Taluks in Karnataka are Mundaragi, Kustagi, Shirahatti, Savanur,


sindanur, yalaburga, Huvinahadagali, Molkamnur, Bagepalli, Pavagada, Kudligi, etc. and
Arsenic affected Taluks are Sindanur, Lingasur, Devadurga, Manvi, sandur etc; Many
methods have been developed for removal of fluoride from drinking water. These methods
can be broadly classified into four basic groups.


Ion exchange or adsorption methods

Coagulation and precipitation methods

Electro chemical defluoridation or electro dialysis

Reverse osmosis

Advantages of reverse osmosis (RO) method :


1. It is very helpful in emergency conditions like rehabilitation centers, Flood hit
areas etc;
2. This plant can easily be erected.
3. It is very useful in rural water supply schemes.
4. It is very useful in remote villages.
Disadvantages of reverse osmosis method :
Establishing RO purification units is not sustainable from water conservation & for
long vision point of view. Because,
1. It wastes a lot of water. (Nearly 70% wastage, which depends on TDS, impurities etc;)
during its process.
2. The value of fetching water and hence conservation will be lost in this case as it is
readily available. causes fast depletion of ground water tables/bore wells.
3. The moment we move from our traditional ways and adopt western concepts we move
ourselves away from conservation. Because it wastes a lot of water during its process.
4. For short term/ Emergency RO plants will run. Maintenance of RO plants this will difficult
for long term plan when there is scarcity of natural resources.
5. Village women and kids, used to fetching water from hand pumps, open wells and tanks
are yet to get used to the concept of purified drinking water meant only for drinking.
6. Sometimes they have been using the same water for cooking, bathing, and washing,
for cattle and for toilets. So, it is difficult to handle the plants 24x365.
7. Difficult to prevent using of RO purified water for washing and cleaning. This
requires continuous surveillance.
8. Just like the security guards at ATMs, we need to have security guards to watch these
plants so that children in the villages do not meddle with these plants and the plant
operators are on call round the clock.
9. Consumes lot of electricity for lifting of water from bore wells to RO plants daily and it
causes fast depletion of ground water tables/bore wells.

Best way of getting pure drinking water is directly consuming properly stored rain water.

Rain water can be collected from the building roof top, whatever may be the type of
roof like thatched to RCC, area even from a small area of 35sqm(375 Sq.ft). The capacity of
water storage tank depends on the area/region of water collection, average annual rain fall
and preference of water for daily usage. Little care should be taken before and after rain
water collection,

Roof area should be kept clean, neat and tidy.


No materials should be stocked on roof.
Water filter should be adopted in between roof and collection tank.
Pipe line from roof to tank and the collection tank should be leak proof.

There should be no scope for ants, lizard, cockroach etc. to enter into either pipe
line or tank.

Collected water should not be exposed to sun light for any cause and this water can
be stored and used up to 18 months without spoiling the quality of water.

Need of RWH and Recharging at fluoride/contamination affected bore well


area and Water security for poor people :
It is prefer to implement RWH especially in fluoride and contaminated water
resource area at least for drinking and cooking purpose. It is possible even with a small
roof catchment area of 35 Sq.mts. ( ie Built up area in 20x30house ) Which is
sufficient for a family with four members with a minimum collection tank of 2400 liters
capacity.
Considering lowest annual rainfall and fluoride affected area in Karnataka, Molkamnoor Tq.
and In Chitradurga dist. having rainfall of 450 mm. (Which is more than two times of
average rainfall of Israel country)
Min. area of roof considered is 35 sqm .(App.350 Sqft).
Total rain water may be collected is 35 sqm x 0.45 m = 15.75 cum
Considering 20% wastage, Net qty available is 15.75 - 3.15 = 12.60 cum

say 12,000 lit.

Capacity of tank to be (considered for drinking & cooking only) calculated as per
consumption of water per family with storage capacity of tank required at different places
are shown below.

Note :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Water consumption capacity of individual and biological nature of the body.


Type of food habits & food style.
Awareness in water conservation.
Involvement in rain harvesting, mind set and water literacy etc, etc;
Wind speed, Vegetation over an area and setbacks of the buildings.
Nature of Job : Field (Touring) or office work.
Radiation of from surrounding buildings.
Average annual rain fall.
Temperature and humidity.

PRESENT WATER SCENARIO :


Water availability will be so limited, Water quality will become unsafe in majority of
the places, and many water borne diseases like Fluorosis, Dementia, Diarrhea, etc. will be
order of the day. There will be fight for water between,

Man to man.
City to city.
State to state.
Country to country

In view of future generation and as a permanent and continuing process, RAIN


WATER HARVESTING is only solution.

The rain water harvesting not only increases the quantity but also improves the
quality saving us from above dangerous diseases.

The occurrence & wide spread migration of chemicals in the underground


environment may be serious threat to ground water quality & groundwater may not
be always safe to drink without treatment as it may have many toxic substances and
bacterial growth. Rain water harvesting dilutes these concentrations and improves
the quality.
Through rain water harvest we can successfully meet the future challenges of
growing water requirement for increased population, industries etc;

Over extraction of ground water through bore wells without recharge at coastal area
is creating large scale sea water intrusion into the fresh water aquifer all along the
coast.

In view of achieving rain water harvesting and recharging rapidly with efficiency,
rain water guidance centers can be established at each and every taluk.
THE ROLE OF RAIN CENTRES IN PROMOTING RAINWATER HARVESTING & RECHARGING:
Over exploitation of groundwater sources, not making any sincere attempts by the
residents, industries, farmers etc; to recharge rainwater and the apathetic attitude of urban
residents towards water in general and RWH in particular are some of the reasons for water
scarcity. Rain center is a one-stop information and assistance center on rainwater
harvesting and recharging.
1. Education: Creating awareness regarding the importance of rainwater harvesting, both
for immediate uses and also for sustaining the water table in the long run.

2. Implementation: Designing and providing programs to help citizens implement


rainwater harvesting in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
3. Evaluation/Research: Carrying out studies on
i) The nature of the sub-soil in different city neighborhoods and its capacity to absorb large
quantities of injected rainwater;
ii) The effectiveness and adequacy of various types of RWH structures;
iii) The post-monsoon impacts on the quality and exploitable quantity of groundwater in
places where RWH has been;
The need of the hour is to spread the message of RWH from neighborhoods to cities
& villages and to countries. It is convinced, can best be achieved by carrying out awareness
raising campaigns and by setting up more Rain Centers across the length and breadth of
Karnataka as a mass movement. Cities throughout the Karnataka, which are water starved
but not rain starved, will have to be identified and selected for this purpose for the pilot
project.

Summary:
1. There is need of compulsion on Rain harvesting & Recharging. Ultimately, for long term
vision plan of rain harvesting and recharging is only the solution for this. By this, Water
security at least for drinking & cooking can be achieved with sustainability of drinking
water at scared regions.
2. For this purpose there is urgent need of Rain water harvesting/recharging guiding
centers with various practical illustrations/models etc; are necessary at severely affected
fluoride/TDS/contaminated/depleted ground water regions/places to educate especially poor
people.
3. Rain centers (Permanent exhibitions to spread water literacy among people) should
also help farmers in methodological recharging of bore wells at different situations/soil
conditions and for efficient water management for their agricultural activities.
4. Standard policy & regulations to be adopted for rain harvesting & recharging in water
scared regions through out India.

5. Regularly, Sufficient publicity should be given through medias regarding awareness on


water conservation practices.

6. There should be restriction for rigging bore well at water scared regions.

By

***

H.Ramesha, AEE/Faculty,
SIUD, ATI Campus,
Mysore.

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