Setting up unit is cost- effective: Experts

NAVI MUMBAI: Experts working in the field of water conservation said that while the state is facing one of the worst droughts in the last four decades, it is high time people started conserving water.

Among all other watersaving techniques, rainwater harvesting is highly effective for conserving water.

The Environmental Status Re por t ( 2013- 14) of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had said the ground water level in its area has depleted considerably, thus rainwater harvesting is necessary to increase the yield and to arrest salt water intrusion. The water requirement of Navi Mumbai is expected to reach 500 mld by 2040, said the report.

However, t hose working towards these systems said people in the satellite city are either not aware about rainwater harvesting or are not interested.

Tapping benefits from water conservation is the need of an hour, but experts said the system has been pushed into the backseat. “With easy availability of water at low cost, most people do not understand the importance of saving water. While there is already a steep water cut imposed across the city, people still use domes- tic water for cleaning cars and watering plants,” said Vishal Singavi, coordinator of Hariyali, a Thane- based nongover nmental organisation spreading water conservation awareness across cities.

He added, “Even if people are aware about rainwater harvesting, they do nothing about it. The conservation method can go a long way in saving water.”

Residents have the misconception that setting up rainwater harvesting system is costly. Water conservation experts said it is a one-time investment but goes a long way in saving water.

“The cost starts from Rs50,000 depending on t he plot area. Our calculation for a 50-apartment building comes to around Rs5,000 per household. This is a one-time investment by the families living in a housing society,” said Pranay Pawar, manager of Alaknanda Technologies, an Airoli- based firm which deals in rainwater harvesting setups and waste water treatment.

He added ,“There is practically little maintenance required. Once a year, recharge pits have to be cleaned which cost around Rs1,000. Pumps need to be serviced every few months.

The maintenance work is hassle- free and requires to be done once a year before the monsoon,” he added.