Madurai :

When several parts of the state are still facing water shortages, Dindigul town has reported steady rise in groundwater level after the recent rains. The residents now laud the municipality for its intensive drive to create awareness on rainwater-harvesting measures in the town.

The water table in Dindigul town, which had touched an all time low of 600 feet earlier, has climbed up to 500 ft. The residents, who are the beneficiaries, are happy they complied with the municipality and laid down the rainwater harvesting structures in time.

A survey of buildings with the rainwater-harvesting structures, including houses, commercial complexes and industrial units, was done in June this year, said Dindigul municipal commissioner T Kumar. Out of 20,337 buildings, only about 3,000 had rainwater-harvesting structures then. Soon, 30 teams of municipal employees swung into action and made door-to-door visits, insisting people to fix the structures. Their efforts paid off and today over 12,000 buildings in the town have rainwater harvesting structures.

The municipal workers talked to the residents and sensitised them on the need to harvest the rainwater. Senior town planning officer M A Palaniappan said the government has designed specific rainwater-harvesting models according to soil condition. Dindigul has sandy soil which enables easy percolation of the rainwater; hence; the residents were asked to install structures which cost about Rs 3,000 for a 1,000 square-feet structure. “We specify that each structure should have a depth of, at least, one meter,” he said. Buildings that adopt the system have spot a sticker saying “rainwater-harvesting measures implemented”.

V Marudharaj, municipal chairman, is passionate about the concept. He propagates the importance of harvesting the precious natural resource among the residents of the town. The municipal office has model structures of the system to give residents an idea about the system. The residents were also asked to refurbish the old harvesting infrastructure, Marudharaj said.

To avoid water crisis, the municipality even restored the Gobalsamudram tank spread over four acres in the heart of Dindigul town. “We took up the restoration work that was pending for the last 40 years. Shrubs were removed and all the sewage that flowed into the tank was diverted. The tank has been fenced and only rain water will be allowed to flow into it from the nearby buildings in future. Two wells within the tank were also deepened. If there is good rainfall, this tank will be filled with sparkling rainwater,” Marudharaj explained about the measures undertaken.

Rajarathinam, a resident, said the water in his domestic borewell has gone up by 5 ft after the recent rains and that he is happy that he installed the rainwater harvesting system. Jayalakshmi, another resident, noted that garden plants are now growing well after she put up the system.

Sources say that the administration should insist on the implementation of the rainwater harvesting system in villages also.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Water table / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / September 14th, 2013