The Hindu : `Take up rainwater harvesting to prevent shortage'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

`Take up rainwater harvesting to prevent shortage'

By Our Staff Correspondent

Belgaum Feb. 25. The Belgaum Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, Anjum Parwez, gave a call to water users, particularly farmers, to "repay'' for extracting and squeezing ground water resource and help themselves in solving the ever increasing problem of water shortage, even as he advocated the implementation of rainwater harvesting as an alternative solution, especially in urban areas.

He warned against using water from check dams and nullah bunds for irrigation as they were constructed with a specific objective of recharging the underground water table. Exploiting these vital units for irrigation would only aggravate the problem and would not help in recharging the water table.

He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating a training programme on Rainwater Harvesting organised by Central Ground Water Authority here on Tuesday.

.S.Ramasesha, Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, South West Region, Bangalore, presided over the programme.

Mr. Parwez pointed out at the complete absence of voluntary efforts on part of water users, particularly farmers, as far as investments in regenerating water was concerned.

"We have been mercilessly extracting water from the ground but not returning anything to the ground.''

He cited the example of Belgaum District where the plight of taluks such Hukkeri was highly deplorable with borewells not yielding water even at a depth of 750 ft.

He pointed out at the insufficient measures towards recharging ground water resources. Not even one-fourth of the annual funds, ranging from Rs.12 crores to Rs.14 crores spent on drinking water supply system in the district, were being invested on recharging the water table.

The achievement of hardly 20 per cent of the available potential for Watershed Development was poor. Borewells were not the solution as being considered by people both in rural and urban areas. On the contrary, it would cause havoc in the future.

The zilla panchayat was at present supplying drinking water by tankers in 40 villages and the number of villages depending on tankers would go up to 200 or 250 in the next few weeks.

Though the zilla panchayat had taken up works on 350 water recharging structures, including nullah bundings, in different parts of the district, "we have reached a point of no return," he said and added that civic bodies in urban areas should insist that the citizens implemented roof top rainwater harvesting schemes.

In his brief address to the trainee staff members drawn from various departments, the Belgaum City Corporation Commissioner, G.A.Adagatti, made it clear that roof top rainwater harvesting had become relevant in the present situation.

On its part, the Corporation had made implementation of the scheme as one of the conditions while issuing construction permissions.

He emphasised the involvement of non-government organisations in converting the scheme into a "mass movement'' by launching an awareness programme in towns and villages.

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