Rainwater harvesting in the Wake of Climate Change: A Case Study from Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh
Journal Title: Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology - Year 2012, Vol 2, Issue 4
Abstract
Shimla city depends mainly on surface water, available in the form of springs, streams and piped rivulets to fulfill its water demand. With rapid development of the city along with the ever increasing tourist inflow, there is a change in the trend of urbanization, which is highly water intensive. Earlier, the water supply system was meant to support a small population, but the population has now increased many folds. The city faces water shortage in every summer leading to huge demand and supply gap. The sources of water are located quite far from the city and mainly tapped from five main sources namely, Dhalli catchment area, Cherot Nallah, Chair Nallah, Nauti Khad (Gumma) and Ashwani Khad. In the face of changing climate, rainwater harvesting (RWH) could be seen as a promising solution to deal with the urban water demand. However, in Shimla city, roof top harvesting is the best way to collect rainwater and then storing it into the reservoirs (either overhead or underground) for further use. From the present study it has been observed that, the city is suitable for rainwater harvesting as it has the required potential for it and receives a good amount of rainfall during rainy season (from June-September), which constitutes almost 70% of the total rainfall in the region. Therefore, RWH can be a viable option to preserve water for the scarce period in the city. It is also necessary now, to educate people and make them aware about the potential and benefits of rainwater harvesting in times of acute scarcity.
Authors and Affiliations
Tanu Singh and L. S. Kandari
Keywords
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