Experts suggest measures to tap into water from streets, open spaces

Bengaluru: Bangalore has been reeling under acute water storage for a few weeks now. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) for replenishing groundwater has been promoted by both the BWSSB and experts. BWSSB has even made it mandatory for buildings with specific areas. However, it has failed to implement it, with only one in five houses having an RWH system.

While the runoff from buildings and houses has been captured using such an RWH system, the runoff from public spaces like roads, parks, and streets remains uncaptured, which the experts claim can be done to replenish groundwater even further. A document shared by BIOME Environmental Solutions claims that even if only 25% of the runoff from public parks could be captured, it can provide the city with more than 450,000 million litres annually.

Shubha Ramachandran, Water Sustainability Consultant at BIOME Environmental Solutions, who has been involved in several such initiatives, explained that the process is similar to a basic RWH system employed at buildings.

“If the water from these places can be captured through storm water drains, filtered using in-drain filters and diverted to a recharge well nearby, it can easily seep through the soil and increase the water table.” 

Similar initiatives have been successfully installed in the Rainbow Drive Locality, Cubbon Park, Haralur Road, BTM and Koramangala 3rd block, she claimed. 

Speaking to DH, KP Singh, Former President of the Rainbow Drive Plot Owner’s Association, claimed that implementing the system has helped them immensely. “We have built storm water drains on both sides of the road to collect the runoff, diverting them to 25 ft deep recharge wells. 

He claimed that this, along with harvesting rainwater via other measures, has made the locality of over 300 houses sustainable on community borewells, which provide water even at 200 ft depth. Similar experiences were also recorded from Cubbon Park, where 73 such recharge wells have been built.

Urging the people to come forward and take up the responsibility, Ramachandran explained that multiple challenges are associated with it. “It shall be ensured that only good quality water reaches the wells. Polluted water can be counterproductive, which requires constant monitoring,” she added. 

Daniel Thomas, an activist who has pioneered several environment-friendly proposals for a more sustainable city, said, “If the gutters are made at a slight slope which drains the water into the soil through stone gravel that is placed at regular intervals along the drain, we can capture a lot of rainwater falling on public spaces”. While the system’s efficacy could not be checked, Thomas claimed it is a simple way to prevent floods and capture water.