CHENNAI: Even as the government has set a three month-deadline for installation of Rain Water Harvesting systems, some residents of north Chennai feel it is impractical for them to individually install the same in their houses due to space constraints, building designs and economic reasons.
For most residents of North Chennai, the only space available to install the RWH pipes is the narrow streets. These streets are also often dug up for electric cables or sewage pipes repair. The story is the same in Royapuram, RK Nagar, Tondiarpet, Elephant Gate and Washermenpet, where houses are built in clusters unevenly, with only some having a proper terrace while many still have slope roofs or asbestos. Houses in Royapuram and Korukkupet are as old as fifty years.
However, officials feel there could be a larger number of buildings which may not have RWH. “Tondiarpet and Royapuram zones combined, may have about 15 lakh buildings and only about 30,000 have been inspected in the first phase,’’ said a corporation official.
Meanwhile, water experts too feel that setting up Rain Water Harvesting structures are geographically not possible in many places. “It is unjust and unwise to put pressure on individual houses in North Chennai, especially the smaller and weaker population,’’ said S Janakarajan, former professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies.
Janakarajan said that existing RWH structures in some places are unscientific and it would be wise if the government reclaims the traditional rainwater harvesting structures such as aeries, ponds and tanks. “The reports on quantum of rainwater saved are superficial. It would take days and months for ground levels to recharge. If excess water is pushed down forcefully, it will only overflow,’’ the professor added. Sekhar Raghavan of Rain Centre said RWH structures are site specific and soil specific. “The roof structures must have catchment and the water has to be channelised. It can’t simply be buried to the ground,’’ he said. He added that an ultimate solution would be clean up traditional water bodies.
Corporation officials believe common RWH systems on road corners could bring the households in narrow streets of north Chennai into the RWH system. "As it may be impossible to ask all individual houses to dig up ground for RWH structures in North Chennai, it would be possible to connect pipes from groups of houses to common RWH systems on street corners," said a corporation official.
However, officials said that the funds for setting up recharge wells were insufficient and they were looking for CSR funds. ‘’One recharge well would cost about Rs 15,000. Corporates only use CSR funds for their surrounding roads or streets. We have to find a way to set up more recharge wells in the economically weaker areas,’’ said the official.