The novel concept of rainwater harvesting seems to have few takers in the national capital as there is little effort to create awareness by the government to promote it as a "fruitful investment", experts feel.
The Delhi Human Development Report released last year stated that 24.8 per cent of the households in the capital are being supplied water through tankers in the absence of pipelines, with the average per capita supply at 3.82 litres per day against the prescribed norm of 172 litres.
"For a city that is battling with water issues, rainwater harvesting can be an excellent option to preserve water. We provide hand-holding support and other guidelines to install underground water rechargeable structures.But the intervention of the government is crucial to take the concept to wider horizons," says Sushmita Sen Gupta, Deputy Water Programme Manager of the Centre for Science and Environment.
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The cost involved in the set-up of rainwater harvesting structures is another factor that has prevented the concept from going mainstream. "The underground water rechargeable pits cost anything between Rs 8,000-10,000. The bigger structures that are installed by industries to tap rainwater usually come in the bracket of Rs 80,000 to over Rs 1 lakh.
"The PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tanks used as rainwater collection systems are priced at Rs 4 to Rs 8 per litre," explains Sushmita, adding that the cost can be a non-issue if people understand the worth of water conservation.
A senior Delhi Government official in the environment department said a lot needs to be done to encourage people to go for rainwater harvesting.
Sushmita identified cost as an important factor, especially for individuals.
"Setting up environment conservation platforms should be seen as a lifetime investment. The maintenance cost of such structures in just Rs 1,000 per year. People fail to see the long term benefits of it. This is an area where the government and civic agencies should pitch in for greater awareness and sensitisation," says the water expert.
