Rainwater harvesting is an easy technique for collecting and storing rainfall for later use. Rainwater from natural or man-made catchment areas, such as rooftops, rocky surfaces, hill slopes, or artificially repaired impervious or semi-pervious land surfaces, is collected and stored through the use of specially constructed systems. Rainwater that has been collected from surfaces where it has fallen may be filtered, saved, and used in various ways, or it may be used straight for recharge. Rainwater harvesting has no restrictions on impurities of any kind, generally low storage costs, and no ongoing maintenance costs except routine cleaning.
This strategy is highly beneficial in reducing the negative consequences of increasing water shortages due to declining groundwater levels and changing climatic conditions. Reserving rainfall helps maintain water availability in water-scarce areas, recharge nearby aquifers, and decrease urban flooding.
Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting:
This source of renewable water is easily accessible.
Harvesting rainwater reduces urban flooding.
Rainwater harvesting can stop soil erosion.
One relatively cheap way to preserve water is to collect rainwater.
Little labor is required for this.
Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting:
If the water isn't adequately treated after being collected through rainwater harvesting, it might not be safe to consume.
Water pollution could occur if the storage facility is not adequately maintained.
Insects may breed in these places as well.
The initial set-up may be high, even though it is not expensive.
The yield of a rainwater harvesting system fluctuates from season to season and is dependent on the amount of rainfall.
The two most important techniques of rainwater harvesting are:
Surface runoff harvesting: In this approach, rainwater can be captured for later use while still dripping away as surface runoff. By redirecting the flow of minor creeks and streams into reservoirs on the surface or below, surface water can be stored. It can supply water for cattle, farming, and ordinary household needs. Urban areas are the best places for surface runoff gathering. In urban areas, storm runoff and rooftop rainwater can be collected using recharge pits, recharge trenches, tube wells, and recharge wells.
Groundwater recharge: Water travels downward from surface water to groundwater during the hydrologic process known as groundwater recharge. Water enters an aquifer mostly through recharge. The aquifer also functions as a mechanism for distribution. The extra rainwater can then be used to use artificial recharge methods to replenish the groundwater aquifer. There are several methods for collecting rainwater in rural areas: gully plug, contour bund, dug well recharge, percolation tank, check dam/cement plug/nala bund, and recharge shaft.
Some examples of conventional water harvesting systems in India are zing-tanks used in Ladakh to collect water from melting ice, the Apatani system in Arunachal Pradesh, Kuls in Himachal Pradesh, Tankas in Rajasthan, and Dongs in Assam.
Thus, an effective technique for addressing the global water crisis is the harvesting and gathering of rainwater.
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