With an aim to conserve water resources and to provide an independent water source to the area under its jurisdiction, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Sunday said that it is developing Modular Rainwater Harvesting Pits, in the national capital.
According to the Vice Chairman of the NDMC Satish Upadhyay, the modular rainwater harvesting pits consists of three chambers wherein the rainwater collected from storm water drains enters the underground brick masonry manholes, which are around 1.2-metre wide and 1.2-meter deep. From the middle of a chamber here, a pipe goes to the second chamber called the filter unit, which is around 2-meter deep.
“It has a strainer to catch dirt, silt, and other solids allowing movement of the steel bucket installed on the lower side of this chamber. The bucket has a pipe going to the third and main chamber. The main chamber is made of pre-fabricated polymer-based blocks that are placed in an interlocked configuration. These are laid around the bore well pipe which is 30-35 meters deep and the whole system is wrapped with geotextile fabric to restrict the entry of soil into the system. The chamber allows the percolation of rainwater through the borewell pipe via pores made on the pipe while also storing any excess water,” he informed.
Upadhyay said that these pits are not only cost-effective but also take a shorter time to install and require less maintenance. NDMC’s Road Division had already developed 160 modular pits and they are working on 95 more pits at different locations in the NDMC area, the work order is to be awarded by this month and the project is to be completed by March 2023.
While informing the benefits of the pits, Upadhyay said that the rainwater in its pure form is captured and added to the natural ground water table through a bore-well, the water table will be increased, and the balance of water can be restored in the reservoir for use of irrigation in lawns and other places, etc. if required, optimum space utilization restoring surface to as it was, rainwater harvesting chamber using the modular technology are accidentally free and economic too. “Less time of construction is required, No dust pollution in the atmosphere during construction as no stone dust coarse sand and aggregate is required for construction as readymade polymer-based blocks are brought at the site and placed in interlocked position,” he claimed.