Coimbatore district administration takes up survey in government buildings to harvest rain water

As part of the rainwater harvesting initiative by the district administration, a defunct borewell in Vellamadai village in Coimbatore has been repurposed into a recharge shaft.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Coimbatore district administration has initiated a survey to assess the scope for rainwater harvesting in government buildings and borewells across the district through non governmental organisations (NGOs).

According to the district administration, 23 of the 38 blocks in the district have been categorised as over-exploited and four as critical in groundwater level. All the water blocks in Coimbatore city fall under the over-exploited category.

The survey is part of efforts to identify government buildings and sites that can be brought under rainwater harvesting ahead of the monsoon that is expected to set in in June.

NGOs based in Coimbatore have been engaged by the district administration to carry out the exercise. It includes mapping government buildings without rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, identifying defunct borewells on government land, and assessing the feasibility of converting the defuct borewells into recharge structures.

Vanitha Mohan, Managing Trustee of Siruthuli, said the initiative is coordinated by the district administration in collaboration with local NGOs. “We have also proposed to the district administration that defunct borewells be converted for dual purposes — as functioning borewells and for rainwater harvesting. This will be discussed and implemented in suitable areas,” she said.

R. Raveendran, secretary of the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC), said the target is to complete the survey by the end of this month. “The intention is to give the district administration time to act on the findings before the onset of the monsoon,” he said adding that around 50% of the survey has been completed.

“The survey began in the second week of April. Once a consolidated report is submitted by the NGOs, we will implement the measures using either CSR funds or government funds,” said Additional Collector (Development) Sanket Balwant Waghe.

In the case of private buildings, the owners will be encouraged to install rainwater harvesting structures.