As monsoons arrive in the country, this is a great time to begin to read, reflect and act on improving our water use and building on our own rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems! As S.Vishwanath aka Zenrainman suggests, the easy way to become more conscious of our water-use is choosing small actions and changes, and then slowly expanding on them with time and learning. Below we’ve put together some resources that we hope will inspire and get you started on this journey with water!
1. Traditional Water Conservation methods: As it turns out RWH is not a new idea! Across time, human beings have found novel and beautiful ways of not only conserving water but also creating spaces of art and beauty for reflection, recuperation and rest. The Better India has documented 20 of these – from baoris to kunds to jhalaras – they showcase human ingenuity and our capacity to live sustainably.
2. Zenrainman’s YouTube channel: S.Vishwanath has been documenting ‘happenings in India on ecological architecture, water and sanitation front with a special emphasis on rainwater harvesting and ecological sanitation systems’ since 2006. Find yourself the model that suits your requirements and learn more about the subject through his channel! The Rainwaterclub website has also been created and managed by Vishwanath. It provides an easy guide to understanding rainwater harvesting and in simple language explains how it can be undertaken within homes.
3. Rainwaterharvesting.org: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has been promoting the concept of water harvesting, particularly in urban areas, as a technological solution that can be adopted by all. This website also provides the reasoning behind rainwater harvesting and shares detailed case studies from various places.
4. RWH @ The Better India: The Better India has over the years collected inspiring news and stories of individuals and communities who have undertaken RWH. This topic compiles all those case studies for easy reading, inspiration and learning. Here, they also share some simple ways in which you can play and build around the rainwater your house receives through building rain gardens to rain chains to simple RWH systems!
Don’t forget to listen to our conversation with S.Vishwanath aka the zenrainman in our podcast episode ‘Zen and the Art of Rainwater Harvesting’.