A Critical Review on Rainwater Harvesting and a Case Study - Way Ahead to Sustainability

Ismail Serageldin, former World Bank Vice-President Quotes "The wars of this century were fought over oil; the wars of next century will be fought over water". The various episodes of water crisis occurring both globally and locally, proves this statement true. To ensure sustainability, we need to look out for and apply all the strategies available at our disposal for water conservation. One among them is Rain Water Harvesting (RWH). India is a land of versatile weather where inconsistency in rainfall is frequent. This irregular pattern is seen more in Southern India. Karnataka has limited water resources, which are depleted and stressed due to Population increase, urbanization & industrialization. If similar trend in consumption prevails, it is projected that by 2030 we will be able to satisfy only 54% of our water demand and the state will additionally require 49 TMC annually to serve its population. Karnataka's water demand is highly influenced by the water demand of Bengaluru, which alone accounts for about 2/3rd of the additional water requirement of Karnataka, and is going to triple over next decade. Although Rainwater Harvesting (Amendment) Regulations, 2011, has been imposed, its absolute implementation has yet to be achieved. This paper aims to present a critical view on the need for Rainwater harvesting and bring awareness among the public. Also, we have designed a Roof top RWH system for Global Academy of Technology, Bengaluru.