SVKM’s Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics

(Autonomous)

2023- 2024

FYBMS

Semester I

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Case Study

Submitted by:

Tisha Rajesh Malde

Sap No. 45614230008

Contact No. 9987140515

Roll No. A32

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No. Date Title Page no.

1 10. 10. 23 Introduction 3

2 10. 10. 23 Objectives of the study 4

3 11. 10. 23 Research Methodology 4

4 11. 10. 23 Case Study 5

5 11. 10. 23 Observations 6

6 11. 10. 23 Suggestions 7

7 12. 10. 23 Conclusion 7

8 12. 10. 23 Bibliography 7

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INTRODUCTION:

The growing freshwater scarcity is being perceived as one of the major challenges faced by
mankind in the 21st century. The rapid spread of population, urbanization, and rising industrial
demand have severely limited the freshwater supply. Being the second most populous country,
with a rapidly growing economy, it is certain that India is likely to face severe constraints of
water scarcity. It, therefore, becomes highly imperative to adopt water conservation measures
and explore alternative sources of water.

Rain Water Harvesting is a strategy that can act as a supplementary and/or distributed water
resource. Rainwater harvesting is an ancient practice that has been increasingly receiving
attention in the world, fueled by water shortages from droughts, pollution and population
growth (Nolde 2007; Meera and Ahameed 2006). Many of the municipalities, including
Mumbai, still depend on rainwater harvesting in one form or another to meet the water demand
of the population. Recent regulations, laid down by many Municipal Authorities, including
those in Mumbai and Chennai, and the President’s appeal for water conservation are
testimonies to the recognition of this feeling.

For Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the premier R&D institution of India, which has
already implemented various RWH measures and has planned further measures, the President’s
appeal has provided a fresh impetus to its efforts in this direction. This paper is an appraisal of
those efforts.

Need for Rainwater Harvesting:

• As water is becoming scarce, it is the need of the day to attain self-sufficiency to fulfil the
water needs.
• The Urban water supply system is under tremendous pressure to supply water to an ever-
increasing population.
• Groundwater is getting depleted and polluted.
• Soil erosion results from the unchecked runoff.
• • Health hazards due to consumption of polluted water.

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Benefits of rainwater harvesting system:

• Rainwater is a comparatively clean and free source of water.

• Rainwater is improved for scenery plants and gardens because it is not chlorinated. • It
can supplement other sources of water supply such as groundwater or municipal water
connections.
• It lowers the water supply cost.
• It can provide an excellent backup source of water for emergencies.
• It is socially acceptable and environmentally responsible.
• It uses simple technologies that are inexpensive and easy to maintain.
• Reduced flood flows and topsoil loss.
• It is free; the only cost is for collection and use.
• It reduces the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides
from rainwater run-off resulting in cleaner lakes, rivers, oceans and other receivers of
stormwater.
• It is used in those areas which face insufficient water resources.
• It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents.
• It can be used to recharge groundwater.
• It minimizes the runoff which blocks the stormwater drains.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• To study the need for rainwater harvesting.

• To study rainwater harvesting and its benefits.
• Case study of the Rainwater Harvesting Measures at BARC, Trombay.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study is confined to examining the rainwater harvesting measures at BARC, Trombay,
Mumbai employing a case study. Data and information for the research study were collected
and analysed from secondary published sources viz., books, newspapers, websites and research
studies.

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RAINWATER-HARVESTING MEASURES AT BARC, TROMBAY,
MUMBAI: A CASE STUDY.

The combined water requirements of BARC’s industrial, public health and horticulture sectors
reach more than 11 million litres per day (MLD). The Municipal Corporation of Greater
Mumbai (BMC) provides 9.5 MLD of the required amount, with the remaining amount coming
from reclaimed water, open wells, and bore wells. Through their high-level reservoir at
Anushaktinagar and their low-level reservoir next to Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers (RCF),
BMC provides water to BARC. Municipal water costs have increased significantly in recent
years; now, BMC delivers at Rs. 25 per cubic meter.

The BARC site spans around 845 hectares (2089 acres) and has more than 2000 mm of yearly
precipitation. The organization maintains a facility on-site for tracking important
meteorological variables, such as rainfall. Trombay Hills encircle the land on both the north
and southwest sides. The Thane Creek coast is where the eastern and south-eastern portions are
located. The lowest level of BARC is located at an average distance of 80 meters above the
foot of the hills. The water that runs down the Trombay hills empties into the Mahul area to the
west, the Anushaktinagar area to the north, and the BARC area to the east and southeast.
Different stormwater drains come from the base of the hills. The soil structure in the planar
zone consists mostly of marine clay and moderately and highly disintegrated rock. The rock
bed is found at a depth of 6 to 19 m. There are more than 25 bore wells and 10 open wells,
some of which go dry in the lean season.

A check dam with an artificial reservoir is the most common RWH measure, which has been
adopted at BARC. Seven check dams have been built on the premises with different reservoir
capacities. Some of the check dams have been built in the same drainage basin (micro-
catchment area) at different elevations and some cater singularly to a specific drainage basin.
These check dams have been designed and constructed as earthen dams with an inner
impermeable core. The lengths of the dams vary from 107 to 270 m. The dams are located at
different elevations. The heights of the dams at the deepest bed level vary from nearly 4 to 20
m. The top width of all dams has been kept at 2.74 m. The slope on the upstream side is
2.5(H):1(V), whereas it is 2(H):1(V) at the downstream side. All the dams have been provided
with a spillway in the form of a waste weir and sluice. The capacities of the artificial reservoirs
created by these check dams are listed in Table 1. Thus, a storage capacity of 387 million litres
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has been created in BARC through these reservoirs. Out of these seven reservoirs, Nos. 9 and
11 retain water throughout the year. The other five go dry during the lean season. The water
from these reservoirs is used largely for irrigation/horticulture. They also feed the bore wells
and open wells and help maintain the groundwater table. Only non-BMC water is being used
for irrigation/landscaping as per the in-house policy decision taken in this regard.

The storage capacities of artificial reservoirs (existing) in million litres (ML):

Artificial reservoir number Storage Capacity (million litres)

1 2.5
2 1.7
3 70
4 75
5 48.8
6 16
7 125
8 48

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OBSERVATIONS:

• The planning and designing of RWH measures at BARC enjoy many advantages such
as an expansive area, nearly unidirectional runoff pattern and high rainfall intensity.
• Adequate storage capacities, in the form of lakes and artificial reservoirs, are present
in several places.
• As most of the stormwater drains off the hill and travels through the built-up areas
downstream, RWH measures provide dual advantages: one, availability of water for
gardening and other non-potable purposes, thereby saving on the water bill; and
secondly, saving the downstream structures from flooding.
• The greenery and rich eco-diversity at BARC have been greatly supported by these
reservoirs.

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SUGGESTIONS:

• New check dams should be constructed and maintained at other potential locations quickly
to facilitate the new storage capacity of freshwater.
• Proper interconnection between the reservoirs must be ensured and a water body
consortium must be maintained.
• The bed of the reservoir must be regularly lined with a polymer membrane to prevent
infiltration losses.
• An efficient distribution mechanism for nonpotable requirements of the nearby area must
be maintained.

CONCLUSION:

There is no denying that water conservation resources have gained enormous importance owing
to heightened water demand and increasing water scarcity, and rainwater harvesting has been
established as the most economical and feasible option for water conservation and freshwater
source generation.

Since its inception, BARC has demonstrated great farsightedness in water conservation
measures, and existing check dams are a shining example of that. With a total storage capacity
of more than 500 million litres (existing and potential), vigorous implementation of RWH
measures can further be expected, enabling the Institution to become a role model in water
conservation, as it is in many other fields.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Srivastava, P.K., Agarwal, A., Mehra, K.B., Tewari, P.K., Ramanujam, S. and Kulkarni, P.B. (2006)
‘Rainwater-harvesting measures at BARC, Trombay, Mumbai: a case study’, Int. J. Nuclear Desalination,
Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.158–165.