APFERWAS encourages RWAs to adopt RWH system
Encouraging residents' welfare associations further to direct rainwater into the harvesting pits, a brochure was brought out by the APFERWAS that serves as a practical guide for the RWAs, NGOs and residents to follow simple methods to set up rainwater harvesting (RWH) pits and conserve water.
Already, APFERWAS received four national awards for adopting and promoting rainwater harvesting system for the past six years in recognition of its collective contribution to overcome urban water crisis.
On Wednesday, Visakhapatnam east MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishnababu unveiled the brochure in presence of president of APFERWAS Uday Shirname, vice president KSR Murthy, among others.
Through the brochure, the APFERWAS team described how the RWH project has been taken up by the Andhra Pradesh Federation of RWAs (APFERWAS) in the city of Visakhapatnam, for the past six years along with its outreach programmes.
'In India we have only 4 percent of the world water resources, barely sufficient for the 150 crore of population. Cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi face acute water problems during summer,' the APFERWAS representatives reiterated.
Some of these cities experience severe urban flooding during the monsoon rains because of improper water conservation measures and ill-planned urban development, encroachment upon the urban freshwater bodies, among others.
The brochure serves as a guide on site selection, construction of the RWH pit, the material to be used, and the design of the pit along with other details. It is a step-by-step guide for people to install the RWH pits in their homes, vacant sites, parks and other suitable locations, with the information given in the brochure.
'Also, we have been sensitising a number of residents in various colonies on the need to conserve water by organising frequent awareness programmes, seminars and distribution of pamphlets.
Most of RWAs of APFERWAS in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and other cities of Andhra Pradesh are implementing RWH in colonies,' the APFERWAS representatives emphasisedAs community-level efforts would pay dividends in addressing the growing water crisis in the country, the APFERWAS intends to reach out to as many RWAs as possible and encourage them to adopt the RWH system.
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