The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is planning to construct rainwater harvesting structures in all types of properties in Greater Hyderabad to collect and save rainwater for regular use, increase groundwater levels, and prevent urban flooding.
GHMC is encouraging citizens to build rainwater harvesting structures in every type of building to save rainwater for various uses and address issues like urban flooding. They are spreading awareness about the benefits of rainwater harvesting, such as groundwater recharge and storing pure rainwater for drinking.
The urban biodiversity wing and engineering wing of GHMC are working on constructing rainwater harvesting structures at the GHMC Head Office with the help of AdvaEnviro Solutions Private Limited. The office has a total rooftop area of 2,232 sq mts, with the potential to collect around 20 lakh litres of rainwater annually.
GHMC Commissioner Ronald Rose explained that initially, they plan to utilize 600 sq mts of rooftop area to collect 5.40 lakh litres of rainwater annually. The collected water will be stored in a sump and then diverted into an injection well to recharge groundwater. The remaining rooftop area will also be used for rainwater collection and storage.
To combat urban flooding, GHMC has selected five parks for a shallow aquifer project aimed at conserving groundwater and addressing flooding issues. This project is part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0. ‘The Rainwater Project’ in collaboration with GHMC is expected to be completed soon.
GHMC and HMWS&SB have conducted a three-day training program for skilled plumbers and masons to install rooftop rainwater harvesting systems. This training will ensure that there is a trained workforce available for building rainwater harvesting systems, which will help in water conservation efforts and reduce urban flooding.
