Rainwater Harvesting Must Be Taken Up as Social Responsibility: Ponnam

The Minister inaugurated the rainwater recharge pits established at the University College of Science, Saifabad, planted saplings and participated in the Rainwater Harvesting Awareness Programme.

While the college NCC cadets presented a guard of honour, the Minister administered the Water Conservation Pledge, released an awareness brochure and felicitated the winners of the essay writing and elocution competitions organised by the college on rainwater harvesting.

Appreciating the University College of Science for setting an example in environmental conservation, the Minister said educational institutions should not be confined to imparting education alone but should also contribute to bringing about positive social change.

He stated that the tanks and ponds constructed during the Kakatiya and Nizam periods stand testimony to the importance accorded to rainwater conservation and groundwater recharge.

The Minister said rapid urbanisation and extensive concretisation have reduced natural groundwater recharge in Hyderabad, making scientific rainwater harvesting extremely essential. He said that although drinking water is presently being supplied to the city from the Krishna, Godavari, Singur, Manjeera and Himayat Sagar water sources, there is an urgent need to strengthen measures for recharging rainwater into the ground locally in view of the growing population and increasing water requirements.

The Minister explained that apartments, gated communities, educational institutions and commercial establishments should establish efficient rainwater harvesting systems and maintain them properly, only then can the severity of water scarcity be reduced.

The Minister stated that the Government has made rainwater harvesting structures mandatory through the strict implementation of the WALTA Act.

He appealed for special measures to ensure that rainwater percolates into the ground instead of flowing into drains. With thousands of borewells in the city going dry, he called upon every household and every institution to come forward responsibly to ensure water security for future generations.

The Minister stated that rainwater harvesting through recharge pits should be transformed into a people's movement across the city. He clarified that rainwater harvesting measures would be implemented more extensively in government offices, educational institutions and other government buildings.

He also urged every citizen to create awareness among family members, neighbours and friends and encourage the establishment of scientific groundwater recharge systems.

The Government Whip Addanki Dayakar said that changing climatic conditions and rapid urbanisation have made water conservation an urgent necessity. He stated that rainwater harvesting assumes even greater importance in cities where natural groundwater recharge is low.

He expressed confidence that the programme launched in Hyderabad would serve as a model for the entire State. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) Managing Director Ashok Reddy said that drinking water is being supplied to Hyderabad by lifting water over hundreds of kilometres from the Singur, Manjeera, Krishna and Godavari reservoirs.

He stated that the Singur Reservoir currently has water storage sufficient for only about 80 days and stressed that strengthening groundwater resources is imperative. He informed that a 99-day Rainwater Harvesting Action Plan is being implemented under the "Intinta Inkudu Gunta" programme.

Of the 3,435 dry or defunct borewells identified across the city, 700 are being converted into injection wells, of which 268 works have been completed and 143 are in progress. He further stated that around 34,000 households have been surveyed and 24,892 rainwater harvesting structures have been registered on the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 2.0 portal, while technical assistance has been provided for establishing 104 new systems.

He said HMWSSB has secured the first position in the country under this programme. He added that the scientific recharge systems established at Uday Blossom Apartments in Gandhinagar and Garden Towers Residential Society in Banjara Hills have improved borewell water availability and reduced dependence on water tankers.

District Collector Dr. Priyanka Ala said that in the backdrop of below-normal rainfall and changing climatic conditions, the programme marks the beginning of district-level awareness initiatives to promote scientific rainwater harvesting extensively in educational institutions, government offices, residential communities and other places. She explained that rainwater can be recharged into the ground through recharge pits, harvesting wells and injection borewells. She called upon students to become ambassadors of water conservation by creating awareness in their homes and neighbourhoods.

Later, the Minister visited Garden Towers Residential Society in Banjara Hills and inspected the rainwater recharge pits established in partnership with HMWSSB. Appreciating every family in the apartment complex, he said such initiatives would serve as ideal models for enhancing groundwater resources and reducing dependence on external water sources. He appealed to all Resident Welfare Associations, gated communities and apartment complexes in the city to take up similar initiatives.