ASSESSMENT OF RAINWATER HARVESTING POTENTIAL FOR A PART OF CHANDIGARH

Rainwater harvesting is an important water conservation technique which can be used as a stand-alone method or in conjunction with other water conservation methods. As water scarcity is becoming more pronounced in many urban areas in India, it becomes necessary to conserve water through whatever means available. In India rainwater harvesting is becoming mandatory for many cities and towns. Depending on the volume of rainwater available for harvesting, an appreciable portion of total water demand can be met with rainwater harvesting in many places. In this paper an attempt has been made to assess the total volume of rainfall that can be harvested for meeting part of the domestic water demand. The analysis has been carried out for a part of Chandigarh, which is a joint capital of Haryana and Punjab. As the city has seen quite a few water shortage years in recent past, it is appropriate to suggest a method for conserving water wherever and whenever possible. The analysis as done for four sectors of Chandigarh showed that a large portion of rainwater can be captured through rainwater harvesting, which can be then used for meeting part of the total domestic water demand.