Come November 1, and the city will have an exclusive rainwater harvesting (RWH) theme park set up by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Spread over three acres on Road No 51 in Jubilee Hills, the theme park has been designed to create awareness among citizens, especially children, about the efficient ways of water conservation.
“It was actually K.T. Rama Rao’s (Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development) idea to set up such a theme park, and HMWSSB had been working towards it under its Jalam Jeevam initiative,” says
Dana Kishore, Municipal Commissioner and MD, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). He adds, “In order to raise awareness amongst the city residents and children on how to effectively utilise rain water and how to increase the ground water levels, this theme park will come in handy.”
While the park shows visitors the different types of water conserving techniques, it has the feel of an infotainment park to the children.
Dr P.S. Suryanarayana, Director, Training and Secondary transmission states the idea is to draw children’s attention for better engagement. “Animation videos, (explaining the value of water), interactive games, water saving multiplayer, quiz kiosk (on water), five-minute videos on saving water, a musical fountain, rainwater infiltration, etc., have been set up to educate children on the importance of rainwater harvesting,” says Suryanarayana. “Another major attraction for school children is a talking tree, which speaks about the importance of rainforests.”
He further adds, “Simulation games are also available for kids to perform actions such as fixing water leakages and breakages. Playing such games will enable children to have greater recall value about the water conservation techniques.”
The theatre in the park also accommodates a virtual reality setup, which visualises the journey of water from the source, the various stages involved (water treatment) and how it reaches people’s homes. Children will be provided with virtual reality gear to watch this seven-minute-video, which makes for a thrilling experience.
J. Satyanarayana, Assistant Director, Ground Water, shares that the various types of rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge system demonstrated at the park can be replicated in homes too.
“We have displayed how rainwater harvest pits can help improve the groundwater level and how such programmes will further help to promote construction of RWH pits,” he shares. Loo cafes are being set up, soon after which the park will become fully operational and be open to the public from November 1.
While Bengaluru has the country’s first rainwater harvesting park, Hyderabad’s will be the second one.
HT02
