|
 Water
is the most essential element of day-to-day life. As it
is readily available in ample quantity in the form of
rainfall, this essential commodity till now was least cared
and was wasted at every body’s will. This has caused a
serious threat to the water regime and hence efforts
of the administrators are concentrated towards conservation of
this important natural but limited resource at national
and also at the international levels. This can be very well
achieved by diverting every drop of water that falls on earth
as a rainfall to ground for recharge. This is possible either
by using the available conduits
to the aquifer i.e. the existing dug wells or bore wells or by
constructing suitable structures. Such an effort is required
on a massive scale so as to use most of the rainwater for
recharge and to minimize the water scarcity. Government of
India is promoting this technique through all their networks
and an appeal has been made to all the citizens to join their
hands for this noble task.
Maharashtra
Pollution Control Board, Nagpur, is a competent authority
in the area of environmental management, pollution monitoring
and control of pollution from industrial activities of the
Nagpur region. Being regulatory authority for the natural
resources MPCB has taken maiden initiative to
set an illustrative model for all the industries, Governmental
offices, private houses and educational institute to adopt the
rainwater harvesting scheme at their respective premises. The
inventiveness taken by the Maharashtra Pollution Control
Board, Nagpur to adopt Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting
System at their UDYOG BHAVAN Premises, Nagpur is highly
commendable.
Globally,
the ever growing population along with rapid industrialistion
has posed serious threats to the water regime quantitatively
as well as qualitatively. RAINWATER
HARVESTING - the new watchword is being promoted as a
solution to the problems arising due to impact of various
anthropological activities on the water regime. It is accepted
as a measure to collect and store the rainwater locally, for
its use during the dry periods of the year. It also helps to
check soil erosion, augment the ground water, check water
table depletion and improve the ground water quality.
In
view of its multifaceted advantages, this study, aimed at
exploring the possibility of implementing rainwater-harvesting
technique in the Udyog Bhavan premises of MPCB. The field
observations when systematically interpreted in correlation
with lithology & meteorological data were found to be
extremely encouraging.
Nagpur,
occupying the central part of India receives an ensured,
average, annual rainfall amounting to more than 1000 mm.
Majority of this rainfall is received from southwest
monsoon during June-September every year. The rainfall pattern
of the region based on the observations made by the Indian
Meteorological Department, Nagpur is graphically depicted
below.
The
month wise rainfall data as compiled below indicates that the
maximum rainfall occurs during June-October of every
year.
|
RAINFALL
NAGPUR CITY 1991-2001
|
|
YEAR
|
JAN
|
FEB
|
MAR
|
APR
|
MAY
|
JUNE
|
JULY
|
AUG
|
SEP
|
OCT
|
NOV
|
DEC
|
TOTAL
|
|
1991
|
36
|
3.8
|
6.9
|
3.2
|
0.1
|
138.7
|
447.2
|
278.8
|
10.1
|
0.1
|
0
|
0
|
924.9
|
|
1992
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
8.1
|
8.6
|
86.6
|
222.0
|
373.2
|
117.3
|
37.5
|
4.8
|
0
|
858.3
|
|
1993
|
0
|
25.5
|
72.9
|
3.4
|
29
|
196.8
|
412.2
|
215.7
|
293.3
|
63.6
|
0
|
2.0
|
1314.4
|
|
1994
|
37.1
|
67.4
|
0
|
10.1
|
5.8
|
152.5
|
683.9
|
338.6
|
295.9
|
172.8
|
0.5
|
0
|
1764.6
|
|
1995
|
43.2
|
0.4
|
99
|
10.3
|
6.8
|
145.8
|
364.3
|
266.4
|
255.3
|
36.4
|
0
|
0
|
1227.9
|
|
1996
|
0.3
|
14.1
|
6.4
|
60.8
|
0.2
|
21.9
|
259.6
|
230.0
|
115.1
|
69.0
|
25.4
|
0
|
802.8
|
|
1997
|
22.5
|
0
|
0
|
8.4
|
14.9
|
87.3
|
223.3
|
198.2
|
216.0
|
105.0
|
82.1
|
129.8
|
1087.5
|
|
1998
|
27.6
|
52.2
|
44.9
|
11.5
|
22.5
|
104.0
|
202.3
|
290.9
|
191.2
|
52.6
|
100.2
|
0
|
1099.9
|
|
1999
|
0.5
|
24.9
|
0.9
|
0
|
51.9
|
115.0
|
252.1
|
324.8
|
236.7
|
129.3
|
0
|
0
|
1136.1
|
|
2000
|
0
|
25.9
|
0
|
0
|
54.5
|
187.4
|
395.5
|
175.1
|
82.7
|
15.9
|
0
|
0
|
937.0
|
|
2001
|
4.2
|
0.0
|
20.1
|
28.8
|
46.6
|
279.8
|
231.4
|
253.3
|
101.2
|
184.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
1149.5
|
|
TOTAL
|
171.4 |
214.2 |
251.1 |
144.6 |
240.9 |
1515.8 |
3693.8 |
2945 |
1914.8 |
866.3 |
213 |
131.8 |
12302.9 |
|
AVERAGE
|
15.6
|
19.5
|
22.8
|
13.1
|
21.9
|
137.8
|
335.8
|
267.7
|
174.1
|
78.8
|
19.4
|
12.0
|
1118.4
|
Note
: Figures in blue indicate
lowest rainfall of the month while figures in red
indicates maximum rainfall of the month.
Further
analysis of the available data indicates that the rainfall
occurs in approximate 59 days of the year. These rainy days
are spread in approximate 51days (out of 122 months) of every
year.
|
YEAR
|
JAN
|
FEB
|
MAR
|
APR
|
MAY
|
JUNE
|
JULY
|
AUG
|
SEP
|
OCT
|
NOV
|
DEC
|
TOTAL
|
|
1991
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
15
|
13
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
42
|
|
1992
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
12
|
17
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
44
|
|
1993
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
1
|
3
|
10
|
17
|
13
|
14
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
69
|
|
1994
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
13
|
21
|
14
|
8
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
68
|
|
1995
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
10
|
14
|
15
|
9
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
61
|
|
1996
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
14
|
18
|
10
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
55
|
|
1997
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
8
|
14
|
10
|
9
|
6
|
4
|
9
|
65
|
|
1998
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
8
|
14
|
10
|
9
|
6
|
4
|
9
|
65
|
|
1999
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
11
|
15
|
12
|
17
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
71
|
|
2000
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
13
|
11
|
10
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
47
|
|
2001
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
10
|
12
|
17
|
5
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
63
|
|
TOTAL
|
9 |
13 |
15 |
14 |
26 |
97 |
15.0 |
149 |
91 |
48 |
11 |
18 |
650 |
| AVERAGE |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
9.0 |
15.0 |
14.0 |
8.0 |
4.0 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
59.0 |
The
availability of ensured and adequate amount of rainfall,
supportive geo-environmental conditions at the
site and the economic benefits expected as a result of
the rainwater harvesting are sufficient reasons for the MPCB,
Nagpur to
think seriously about this scheme.
In
order to establish the possibility of conserving the rainfall
M/s SRUSHTI SEWA, Nagpur conducted a systematic survey.
This included study for the estimation of rainwater incident
on the Udyog Bhavan office premises, assessment of collection
mechanism, existing rainwater disposal system. SRUSHTI SEWA
is working for protection and conservation of vastly depleting
natural resources in rural as well as the urban areas and
promotes the rooftop rainwater-harvesting scheme.
|
