VII-2-Assessing the Potential for Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting - A Hope for Semi-arid Region in Haryana.

Abstract

Rainwater harvesting is one of the promising ways of supplementing the surface and underground scarce water resources in areas where existing water supply system is inadequate to meet the demand. Rainwater harvesting is being promoted as a panacea for the growing drinking water crisis in India and many underdeveloped and developing countries. The present study is, therefore, an attempt to find out the rooftop water harvesting potential at micro level in a semi-arid Dhani Mohabbatpur village of Hisar district in Haryana. A primary survey of 763 households was conducted to assess the water harvesting potential during February and March 2011. Potential of rainwater supply from the rooftops of the residents were estimated using the runoff coefficients for cemented and non cemented built up houses including public buildings namely, bus stand, panchyat ghar, child development centre, primary and high school of the village. The study revealed that the potential of rooftop water harvesting in the village are quite enormous and if this water is harvested, it will reduce the pressure on village public water supply and as well as on surface and groundwater resources in the water scarce region.