Chennai rainwater harvesting lessons offer guidance for Hyderabad water crisis
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Hyderabad, an Indian city, is experiencing a severe water shortage as its primary reservoir levels fell to 13 percent.
Residents currently rely on 6,000 water tankers booked daily to meet the city's needs. Professor Sekhar Raghavan began promoting rainwater harvesting in Chennai, India, in 1995 after noticing seawater contaminating the local tap water. He convinced residents to collect rain from rooftops and driveways to filter and recharge underground aquifers.
These efforts led the state of Tamil Nadu to make rainwater harvesting mandatory for buildings in 2003. This policy helped groundwater levels rise by nearly 20 feet for about 15 years. The success of these systems eventually declined due to poor maintenance and clogged filters. This lack of upkeep caused Chennai to face another severe drought in 2019. The city is now exploring new infrastructure like sponge parks and underground capture systems to improve its water resilience.
