Selaiyur residents focus on rainwater harvesting


Chennai: With residents learning the importance of saving water this season, all attention has shifted to rainwater harvesting, to ensure that they do not face a similar situation in the future.

With more showers predicted in the coming days, locals are planning to save as much rainwater as they can.

One among them in Dayanand Krishnan, a resident of Pradeep and Karthik Avenue. He has created a simple rainwater harvesting apparatus for Rs 250.

“I bought two PVC pipe bends, a three-foot pipe, and a cloth filter for only Rs 20. With all the equipment in place, I created a diversion in my existing pipeline, which helped me collect rainwater in a drum. In fact, I successfully collected 225 litres in just 10 minutes,” he said.

Dayanand said he uses the water to wash vessels, clothes, car and for mopping the floor. “The first few litres of water contained impurities, but after that it was crystal clear,” he said.

Similarly, residents of Harini Aishwaryam Apartments on IAF Road have come up with a novel rainwater harvesting method in which they collect it in sumps.

Even the overflow from the sump flows into the soak pit. Two pits, six feet deep, have been installed on the premises and two more are all set to come up. The rainwater storage system has a capacity of about 70,000 litres, it is learnt.