NOIDA: Under the guidance of newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ritu Maheshwari,
the Noida Authority has decided to use an unconventional method to conserve water by installing roof-top rainwater harvesting units to conserve about 2,000 litres of rainwater.
According to Noida officials, in the first phase three unconventional units have been put on the rooftop of the Noida Authority office building in sector 6. “In the next phase, we will promote this unconventional rainwater harvesting method in staff quarters, office places, parks and residential buildings,” said the CEO.
Explaining the technique, Maheshwari said that it simply includes drums of 200 litre capacity. “Firstly, the drums have been wrapped by geo-textile fabric from outside to prevent clogging. These drums have
then been laid vertically inside the excavated ground. The rainwater is made to go to these drums through pipes. Water percolates slowly through gravel to the surrounding soil below resulting in water conservation,” she said.
According to Maheshwari, the step is an innovative approach to tackle the needs of the growing urbanisation in cities. “This is very cost-effective, easy to install unconventional rainwater harvesting
method. All the rainwater from rooftops, residual R.O. water and water coming from AC units is being conserved in this way,” she added.
The CEO said that a family of five does not need more than 10-15 litres a day for drinking and cooking. This comes to 4,000-5,000 litres in a year. This means one hectare can harvest enough water to meet the needs of 200-300 families. “We need to catch the rainwater where it falls and create a sponge city,” she added.
Earlier this month, Noida Authority had formed twenty committees to create awareness about water conservation. The committees have been directed to ensure that all completed and ongoing infrastructural
projects in Noida have rooftop rainwater harvesting systems. As per recent reports from the Central Ground Water Board, groundwater in Noida has been decreasing at an average of 1.5 meters each year for
the past five years.