Whenever the monsoon is close at hand, rainwater harvesting pitter-patters into the spotlight. Where no rainwater harvesting installation exists, a rude goad can be expected. Where an RWH structure does exist, a possible laurel can be won.
Jains Pebble Brook, a gated community in Thoraipakkam, has received laurels for its rainwater harvesting installations and the results it has achieved with them.
VR Chennai, a mall in Anna Nagar, received accolades for theirs in the category for commercial establishments.
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The winners were announced at virtual conclave organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on October 21.
The Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department in coordination with Chennai Metro Water and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) had marked these two for the top honour in their categories under “Rainwater Harvesting Implementation”.
CMWSSB had vetted the various entries and passed on its observations to MAWS to make the selection, a CMWSSB source familiar with the exercise disclosed.
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An official from the main CMWSSB office remarks that VR Chennai harvests rainwater optimally through a system of recharge wells and pits and what makes their water management commendable, even somewhat singular, is the total lack of dependence on groundwater.
“They have not sunk any borewells on their premises. They buy water from tankers, and during the rainy reason, they meet a good part of their water needs by efficiently harvesting rainwater,” the Metro Water official adds.
Jains Pebble Brook stood out in the residential-units category. From each of the 15 CMWSSB Areas, details about the pick of the rainwater harvesting systems had to be sent to the main office.
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Jains Pebble Brook made it from Area 15.
On what makes this gated community’s rainwater conservation effort remarkable, a local CMWSSB official shares this observation: “Generally, all RWAs would have done RWH installations at the time of construction, but would be lax in maintaining the facility and it would become defunct. This RWA has been consistently maintaining the RWH installations they had done for four blocks. The water they take out they use with conventional filter and recycle the used water. Besides, they also have a modular STP in place.”