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JNTU-H innovates to save every drop of water
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad has established 23 rainwater harvesting pits on its 50-acre campus in Hyderabad with an aim to achieving the status of ‘zero rainwater discharge university’ over the next five years.
Hyderabad: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad has established 23 rainwater harvesting pits on its 50-acre campus in Hyderabad with an aim to achieving the status of ‘zero rainwater discharge university’ over the next five years.
Since Hyderabad is on the Deccan plateau there is large presence of hard rocks or sheet rocks. It takes some effort to let the rainwater recharge the water table. “We initially dug six feet pits. Then we drilled a hole up to 200 feet deep through the rocks to fix the recharge wells. The recharge wells work just like a borewell,” said MVSS Giridhar, Head, Centre for Water Resources and in-charge of rainwater harvesting pits at JNTU-H.
To overcome the accumulation of waste materials like clay, papers and leaves, the harvesting pits are made out of sand and high density polyethylene membrane with 0.125 ml mesh holes. As the pits are made big and deep into the soil, more rainwater gets percolated in to the soil and water does not go waste.
The advantage of harvesting pit is that it decreases concentration of fluoride content in the water sources. Besides the pits, the university has set up rooftop pipeline which would collect rainwater for drinking after appropriate treatment and also to be used for other purposes.
Before 2011, the university faced severe water crisis as borewells dried up and they had to depend completely on water tankers. Now the administration has decided to make JNTU-H ‘zero rainwater discharge university’ over the next five years.
“The university wants to cover 50 more acres by digging up more pits. These will also help in increasing underground water wells. We will ensure that every drop of rainwater is collected and stored thus making zero discharge of rainwater,” said Giridhar.
By: Chitra Saikumar
