Rain Water Harvesting

 

Tamilnadu is the first Indian State to make rainwater harvesting mandatory.  Successful implementation of this scheme during 2001-2006 has reaped rich dividends in improving the quality and quantity of ground water table.

Necessary amendments were made to the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920, the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972, the Multi-Storeyed and Public Buildings Rules, 1973 and the Madurai City Municipal Corporation Building (Water Conservation) Rules, 2002 to make “Rain Water Harvesting structures” in all buildings mandatory while issuing Building Plan approval. The rain water harvesting structures created throughout the State have helped to raise the ground water table substantially. The awareness programme for Rain Water Harvesting is also being continued in all the ULBs.

Upto February 2018, out of 44.56 lakh buildings in Corporations (except Chennai) and Municipalities, 38.86 lakh buildings (30116 Government buildings and 38.56 lakh private buildings) have been provided with RWH structures. Rain water harvesting in the water bodies in ULBs have also been given major thrust. Out of 1486 Ponds and temple tanks, 773 have been provided with RWH structures.

The Urban Local Bodies have now initiated various measures for the rehabilitation of the rain water harvesting structures. Further, wherever rain water harvesting structures in Urban Local Bodies are under repair, the ULBs are restoring them. An action plan has been drawn by Urban Local Bodies for the Revival, Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Rain Water Harvesting structures.

Pre-monsoon preparedness has been taken up in all urban local bodies as precautionary measures by way of cleaning and desilting all the storm water drains, canals, culverts as well as the lead channels to the water courses in the town. All the rain water harvesting structures were rejuvenated and made functional.

With this drive, 87% of Buildings and 52% of Ponds and Tanks have been covered upto Feb 2018. The recharge potential due to the rain water harvested from buildings and water bodies is calculated as 5.12 TMC.

In order to improve the water bodies in Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Pattukottai, Sattur Municipalities and Erode Corporation, an amount of Rs 26.67 crore has been allotted by the Government under Kfw scheme.

2.3.4 Summer Management Plan–2018 (State Disaster Response Fund)

Because of the critically failed 2016 NE monsoon,the water scarcity during the summer 2017, was tackled by providing additional bore wells with hand pumps/mini power pumps in addition  to  purchase of spare parts for the maintenance of existing hand pumps.Further, rejuvenation of  borewells / Infiltration wells, conversion of hand pump to mini power pumps and transportation of water through tanker lorries, provision of HDPE tanks, flushing of existing bore wells, replacement of motors were taken up at  an estimated cost of `100.62 crore, of which an amount of `65 Crore has been released as grant from the SDRF and balance funds met out by the respective local bodies out of their general funds. 1744 number of works have been taken up and 1743 number of works were completed and the remaining 1 number of work is under progress.

For the ensuing summer 2018, summer managment plan proposals were received from all Corporations and Municipalities at an estimated cost of Rs.103.79 crore, and are being scrutinized for timely implementation.