Amidst the prevailing water crisis, a family in Bengaluru is making waves by effectively addressing their water needs without relying on a borewell or water from the Cauvery river. By using rainwater collected and stored from the previous year’s monsoon, Rohit Malekar and Suma Raj are not only beating the scorching summer temperatures but also nurturing a flourishing garden boasting over 350 plants.
In an era where residents are dealing with acute water scarcity and blistering heat, their household serves as a beacon of inspiration, offering valuable insights for other families facing similar challenges.
While inadequate rainfall in 2023 is blamed for exacerbating the present water crisis in Bengaluru, experts believe rainwater received in the city (an annual average of 800 mm) should suffice to serve its water needs if properly conserved through rainwater harvesting and recharging.
But despite rainwater harvesting being mandatory for large properties in the city, Bengaluru drains away 90 percent of its rainwater squandering a potential solution for the water crisis that has been impacting the daily lives of its residents.
Suma and Rohit opted for roof-based rainwater harvesting during the construction of their 2,000 sq ft home in 2020.
The majority of Bengaluru’s water requirements are currently met through the Cauvery river (60 percent) and groundwater resources (40 percent).
Let’s learn more about their water conservation efforts from Rohit and Suma.
Making every drop count
Suma grew up in South Bengaluru, Karnataka, where conservation and sustainable living were very much part of her day-to-day life. Around 20 years back when groundwater recharging and solar panels were not mandatory, her father had a self-designed rainwater harvesting (RWH) setup installed in their home.
So, when Suma and Rohit decided to build their dream home, they aspired to create an environmentally friendly home too.
The couple was inspired by their son’s school, designed by Chitra Viswanath. They were also inspired by The Better India article that highlighted Chitra and her husband S Vishwanath’s work for sustainable homes. So Suma and Rohit decided to prioritise water conservation initiatives when they built their own home in Royal Placid Layout, Haralur.
Prospective homeowners who haven't started construction should also invest in an underground sump for harvesting rainwater. There is no silver bullet to solve water crises entirely. This will afford you more than a decent level of self-sufficiency. https://t.co/7hk2trq1Pf
— rohitmalekar.eth (@RohitMalekar)
March 17, 2024 While their neighbours rely on drying borewells, Suma and Rohit opted for roof-based rainwater harvesting during the construction of their 2,000 sq ft home in 2020.
“We learnt that even borewells as deep as 1,000 feet in our locality went dry over time. This was the reason we chose not to drill a borewell. Besides, we still depend on water tankers as the Cauvery water supply is insufficient. This dependency increases during summer with the Cauvery water supply reducing to one-fourth of its usual quantity,” Rohit tells The Better India.
So, the couple decided to harvest rainwater for non-potable purposes like cleaning, bathing, and gardening needs, except for drinking and cooking. This ensures they are unaffected by the depleting groundwater levels.
Rainwater meets half of the family’s annual water needs. “Every monsoon, we save up to 35,000 litres of rainwater. We use the harvested rainwater for cleaning and gardening purposes. Whereas, we use the Cauvery water once a week and tanker supply thrice a month for kitchen, bathing, dishes, and laundry purposes, and water cans for drinking needs. We are a family of four and rainwater takes care of half of our annual water needs,” he shares.
Maintaining garden with 350 plants amid water crisis
Closer to their rainwater harvesting tank, the couple has maintained a lush green garden of 350 plants comprising ornamental, flowering, succulents, handfuls of greens, herbs, and ayurvedic plants.
Amid water crisis, Rohit and Suma are able to nurture their flourishing garden with over 350 plants.
Besides cleaning and other domestic purposes, RWH tank water is also used to meet their gardening needs. The garden requires about 150 to 175 litres of water daily.
“Most of the time we draw water from the RWH tank to water these plants. Additionally, we manually re-purpose about 25 litres of water from the kitchen — leftovers from cooking and washing — for gardening,” he adds.
Irrespective of the budget constraints, Suma and Rohit invested Rs 4.2 lakh in installing the RWH setup, which required digging, masonry, waterproofing of the tank, and plumbing.
“There was never a time when I doubted investing Rs 4.5 lakh in RWH. We tried our best to build a sustainable house without any explicit expectation of return on investment to the extent we could afford it,” Suma tells The Better India.
“Alongside this, we also invested in solar panels and compressed mud blocks for the entire house that offer the satisfaction of adopting slightly sustainable choices. We also prefer using buckets over showers for bathing. We also have aerators for most of the faucets,” she adds.
Rohit and Suma harvest rainwater for non-potable purposes like cleaning, bathing, and gardening needs.
Despite making efforts towards water conservation at the household level, Rohit and Suma feel they are not doing enough. “However, there is a sense of relief that we took steps in the right direction but much more can be done. I believe we need a plurality in solutions to address water scarcity and RWH is a low-hanging fruit. I like it because it is decentralised, doesn’t have a single point of failure, and some versions like groundwater recharging aren’t terribly expensive,” says Rohit.
According to him, less than 20 percent of the properties with water connections have implemented rainwater harvesting; and solving the water crisis in Bengaluru will require multiple solutions.
“Water conservation involves commitment and investment in terms of money, time, and real estate. Also, in the current fast-paced city life, where we depend a lot on domestic help to run day-to-day chores, it is hard to find support staff who are obliged to adopt similar practices to help conserve. Hence, it is easier said than done,” he says.
“But what is needed is to be aware of the options available for lowering environmental impact and then make an educated choice based on personal context, resources, and needs,” suggests Rohit.
Sources
Water famine in Bengaluru?: by A Ravindra for Deccan Herald, Published on 11 March 2024.
Harvesting a hit, but B’luru lets 90% of rainwater go waste: by Sneha Ramesh for Deccan Herald, Published on 3 October 2023.
‘Bengaluru can become worse than Cape Town if mismanagement of water continues’: TV Ramachandra: by Sanath Prasad for The Indian Express, Published on 4 April 2024.
Edited by Pranita Bhat.
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