MODEL PROJECTS
CSE is constantly deluged with queries, opinions and ideas from
people who are concerned about the prevailing water crisis and
are keen to play an active role in managing water. The Sixteen
model projects provide the answers, at least to some of them.
These also act as effective tools to establish the fact that
rainwater harvesting can be taken up and implemented successfully
in urban centers, by all concerned individuals who are looking
for a way to fulfill their own water needs.
As a part of the Centre for Science and Environment's
(CSE) campaign to spread awareness about community based rainwater
harvesting techniques, the centre has identified Sixteen model
projects in Delhi, from among those that have been designed
by it. CSE has helped in the process of implementation of these
and has been monitoring their impact on a regular basis. These
Sixteen model projects have been constructed by enterprising
citizens who sought CSE's help to setup rainwater harvesting
structures in their colonies and institutions. The structures
have a distinctive geographical and geological characteristic;
the Mira Model School model, for example, has been constructed
on a sedimentary terrain and the Shri Ram School project is
on a hilly terrain. They also feature different forms of rainwater
harvesting - rooftop harvesting and surface water harvesting.
The following are the selected sites:
IMPACTS: CSE has been
constantly monitoring changes in the water levels in its 11
model projects in Delhi and Gurgaon (Haryana). The impact
of rainwater harvesting on the quality and quantity of groundwater
in the location has been remarkable, proving beyond doubt
that rainwater harvesting is one of the most effective tools
to arrest the rapidly depleting groundwater reserves.
a. RISE IN THE WATER TABLE
In order to study the impact of rainwater harvesting on the
groundwater table in the model projects, the water level in
the existing borewell was measured every month. Details of
the pre monsoon, post monsoon and monsoon data are given below.
Water levels in Model Rainwater Harvesting Projects in Delhi
and Gurgaon (Haryana)
Click to enlarge Graphs
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