Among the thousands of micro and small industries and commercial establishments, rainwater harvesting is yet to gain momentum.
If steps are taken now, before the next monsoon season, there will be benefits, say industry sources here.
Rainwater can be harvested from rooftops in all types of buildings, suggests Vanitha Mohan, Managing Trustee of Siruthuli.
“If industries can harvest water from rooftop there will be a huge volume of water that can be saved from getting wasted,” she says. Water harvested from rooftops can be collected in tanks and reused.
The duct should be cleaned before the monsoon. There are different types of rainwater harvesting structures for various kinds of buildings. If the premise is big enough, water on the open surface can be channelised and taken to pits or abandoned borewells. The basic structure should be well-designed and the filtering system should be proper so that maintenance becomes easy.
Ms. Mohan points out the need for thrust on water conservation from all stakeholders. However, that is not the case. The public think that if the rains are good, there will be no water problem. When there is a downpour, sometimes water-logging is seen on roadsides even for a couple of days. The water goes wasted. Earlier, when there were not so many buildings, rainwater will go to the channels. Now, in a concrete eco-system, rooftop collection is a must, she says.
Energy is expensive whereas water is still relatively affordable. Water is going to be more important. In the long-term, industries will benefit if they have rainwater harvesting systems and water conservation measures.
What is needed is awareness. The government should also help create the awareness. Rainwater can be harvested even from small structures, she says.