In 2003, the Ministry of Water Resources sanctioned a pilot project to harvest rainwater in 100 rural schools across 13 states in the country through 20 village Community Based Organizations (CBOs). The project aimed to provide adequate water for drinking and sanitation by collecting rainwater from the roof tops of school buildings and storing this in underground water tanks. The Barefoot College, Tillonia outlines the simple and low cost traditional technique which can serve as a permanent sweet drinking water source for school children in rural areas. |
Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) from roofs is a simple low cost technique that has been practiced for hundreds of years in the desert areas of India. For over two decades, the Barefoot College has provided drinking water in remote rural schools in 15 states for about 32 million people by collecting rainwater from rooftops of the schools and storing it in underground tanks. Barefoot College regards RWH is not only an alternative, but often as the only viable solution.
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting is recognized as not only a simple and low cost traditional technique but as a permanent sweet drinking water source for school children in the rural areas. In remote villages where access to drinking water is a major problem, RWH structures serves two purposes:
Applying local techniques, particularly in rural areas, directly benefits vulnerable groups in the society in several ways, such as:
The Barefoot College was started in 1972 with the conviction that solutions to rural problems lie within the community. Practical knowledge and skills are emphasized rather than paper qualifications. |
Rainwater HarvestingThrough | Ground water Recharge | |||||
| Construction of Tanks | Excavation of Village Ponds ( Nadis ) | Unused dug wells connected by pipes to rooftops | |||
1. | Total No. of Systems | 13 | 571 | 223 | 41 | |
2. | Storage Capacity in Litres | - | 32 Million | 525 Million | 15 Million | |
3. | Location: | - | - | - | - | |
Rural Schools | - | 458 | - | 23 | ||
Community/Training Centers | - | 113 | - | 18 | ||
Total No. of Villages | 13 | 392 villages | 193 | 27 | ||
States: | ||||||
Rajasthan | 13 | 442 tanks | 193 | 27 | ||
Others | - | 129 tanks | - | - | ||
4. | Employment Generated for Local People | 26 | 15,000 | 35,000 | 50 | |
5. | Community Contribution | Rs 30 per family/month | 10% of total cost | 2 days free labour per month/labourer | - | |
6. | No. of users | 15,000 People | 50,000 People | 1,25,000 People/Cattle | 4,500 People |
In addition to this, the Barefoot College felt that working at the community level to resolve problems by using indigenous institutions and knowledge creates other positive outcome such as employment generation, participation and empowerment, capacity building of local organizations and communities, decentralized low-cost solutions and transparency and accountability.
Rainwater Harvesting Tank in School
Over the last two decades, the Barefoot College has developed the experience of collecting rainwater from 442 schools/community centre buildings for 30,000 children in Rajasthan and 129 schools in 13 other states. The RWH structures were constructed by the local Barefoot Engineers in 392 villages in the country. The cost of material and labour for construction of a RWH with a toilet in schools is Rs 2 per litre. It is also a maintenance free technology and a sustainable water source in the long-term.
The rural poor communities have addressed their own water needs by applying traditional knowledge, skills and using locally available raw materials to construct the rainwater harvesting tanks in schools and other community centers in the desert area of Rajasthan and in the Himalayan states.
The project successfully improved the quantity and quality of the collected rainwater by applying the principles of ecological engineering to traditional rainwater harvesting techniques. Additionally, it developed innovative filtration systems to reduce sedimentation (from collected water) and mitigate contamination (from stored water).
The shape of the tank depends upon the soil type. The basic traditional designs are rectangular and cylindrical (round). A rectangular tank is good for hard rock area. The technique is simple: Dig a pit and cover it with a roof made of local stones. The rooftop tank can be used for holding classes in winter or as a stage for the school. |
Capacity: 42 cubic metersThe cylindrical design is particularly suitable for the desert area. The knowledge of traditional and inexpensive construction technique of water structures is with the village community of the Thar Desert. It is incredible but true that local village masons and architects can construct cylindrical tanks and deep wells of upto 100 mts deep using locally available material. These cylindrical tanks are a challenge to build even for trained civil engineers. |
Capacity: 39.6 cubic meters |