My dear husband was scanning the news papers , and exclaimed “Cantonment Board have decided to be strict about enforcing Rain water harvesting “. Nothing could have been more sweeter to my ears, the armchair activist that I am. For once I think our local administration is going to take a good step! Though they do not care, how many citizens use suction pumps to suck out drinking water ,for filling up overhead tanks, thus depriving law-abiding citizens to fend for themselves. In our country, law-abiding citizens also have another name,viz. fools!
Anyway, what with the rain gods showing no mercy for our part of the country this year, I was glad about the announcement. Lo.. my mail box too was indicating a blog post on a related topic.!
I am all for it , and am planning to visit the bazaar to buy those lovely blue drums and stick them under the existing rainwater drains . The rest can go into the water harvesting area. At least my plant in the ground floor can have some relief.
Meanwhile, I am also tying with another idea : of distilling the kitchen waste water and use it for plants.
Will keep you posted of my initiatives. Please do share ideas about growing plants, while saving water.
Most importantly, please do not forget to pray for rains, if you believe in the Big One , or hope for the best.:-)
Pattu's terrace Garden 
I’ll definitely pray for rains! By now the monsoon should have arrived. The blue drum does look cheerful! Our apartment complex has a rainwater harvesting system, recently installed. Which part of Sec’bad do you live in, if that’s not too personal a question to ask? We used to live near the Club. 🙂
This is getting closer home! We live about a k.m. from the Club:-). No wonder , I bonded with you so well!:-)
Such innovation…. 🙂
🙂
When I built my house, I installed a tiny sink beside my main sink in the kitchen. The aim was to wash rice/dal/veg in this sink. The drain pipe from this sink led to the tiny back garden. I was pleased with my innovation. But after 2 weeks, there was this stink…you guessed it! the pipe line leading to the garden was the source. I promptly called the plumber and attached this pipe to the drainage line safely covered and odorless. Lesson learnt, grey water recycling is not so simple.
You at least took the initiative though it had to be aborted.
What I heard was, that one has to build a collecting pit and then distill the kitchen water , before it is used for plants.
Meanwhile, during summer, I had to collect the kitchen water and pour it on my plants, most of them survived. One consolation was , I did not use any soap, for cleaning. Only organic stuff. It was a difficult task ,and at times was testing the patience.
That is a truly promising idea. I am sure it is going to make Mother earth and her greener children very, vary happy.
Thanks Umashankar. Knowing our administration, it is , if and when it happens.:-)
It is good to hear that rainwater harvesting is becoming mandatory. A lot of water can be collected if one can create an underground tank for collecting rainwater harvesting. Leave the water from the first rains which will clean up the roof/terrace. The water from the next rains can then be collected and safely stored. One can use it for drinking purpose after the sedimentation takes place and after it is filtered.
Welcome here Sabyasachi! I agree. It is needed more here in Deccan where the underground water is fast depleting.Sad that due to so may plant on my terrace, I cannot directly channel the water into the sump/tank. I have to catch it in barrels and then use.
Thats a good step . Would help a lot in dealing with water scarcity problems
Yes Jayashree, hope it takes off!
the earlier incarnations of ghmc made it mandatory for all residential layouts to have rainwater harvesting way back in naidu’s time. so every layout used to have a sign put up indicating where the rainwater harvesting pit was. as i went about scouting for property, i soon realized that the sign was all that was there to it, neither was there a tank, nor plans to direct rainwater to it. it was just a sign put up to get approval. this simple drum idea along with the idea of vertical gardening are great ways to go green – literally – for city dwellers.have to implement it in our apartment now…
Yes Subhorup. Hyderabad has lot of pretenders for their gains, and not for causes. They fail to grasp why it is necessary to harvest rain water here. I feel sad when I see my neighbours with huge terrace , waste the rainwater into nala, and then get borewell water lorry for their use!( and retired Engineering professionals, to boot).
You are quite inventive, very innovative 🙂
Thanks Ghazala!
Very innovative and brilliant!
Thanks Amitji!
Very timely written post. Its good time to put idea into practice.
Welcome here Mohan Chandragaru! This is one idea that keeps cropping up in my mind,and I bug others too, often. This year we are with zero water supply,you can understand my concern.
Liked your blog very much. I will visit many times to read the older posts too.
All the best on your new endeavors….wish you all success! I am sure, you must have already installed that blue drum…I just hope Delhites follow innovative people of Hyderabad to resolve their water shortage problem….
Enjoyed reading your blog..:))
Thanks Panchali, I feel encouraged.
I think this is quite innovative. Can solve many problems this way.
Welcome Shalu ! Thanks. Hope it will start off in right earnest.
In Bangalore, it has been compulsory for some time with all kinds of riders. No one implements it :(. I checked in my house. Apparently we can have a maximum storage of around 5K litres which will involve quite a bit of cost. I am already using the water from washing veggies, dal, rice etc. for the plants. My husband has made a pipe-drip system for the plants that I will take a picture and put up for you. That works very well with low water consumption. We have taken off the tops of all our flushing cisterns. That way we can regulate the amount of water flushed instead of a full-tank flush. I am praying too!
Wonderful practice , Rachna! I appreciate that your family is involved in this. This mindset is necessary for effective implementation of saving water at all levels. i would love to see your drip system too. Maybe a post on that topic will be a handy one and educative too. Unless we talk, discuss and encourage, the idea wont catch up.
Once the rains pour, people forget about conservation!!!
I agree, Pattu ji. I will do a post on that drip system along with the organic manure that I make at home. You are absolutely right about forgetting about conservation once the rains are normal. I was so inspired by SMJ today that I will implement rain water harvesting too in a bigger or smaller way, however possible.
Ways to go Rachna. All the best. you are setting an an example for people.
Rain water harvesting was the only thing on my mind after watching Satyamev Jayate’s today’s episode … wow ! very nice idea and right on time for me !
Welcome My say! I am glad!
This is awesome. Thanks. Sharing.