Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater
harvesting refers to the process of capturing and storage of rainwater at its
inception and simultaneously does not allow the water to loss through runoff,
evaporation and seepage for its efficient utilization. Rainwater harvesting is
broadly composed of two steps, firstly, the storage of rainwater on the surface
for further use and secondly, recharge to groundwater. The rainwater is
traditionally stored in tanks, ponds, and check dams. In high rainfall areas, the water harvesting
structure can act as a source of drinking and irrigation water during the times
of the lean-period and dry spell. In 44 blocks and 27 urban areas of Odisha,
the groundwater has started declining. All the possible ways of rainwater harvesting and
recharging needs to be explored to address these problems.