No tankers since 1996: how a Vizag colony made rainwater harvesting mandatory and kept its wells wet

At a time when several apartment complexes and residential localities in the city are struggling with declining groundwater levels and water shortages, Jagannadha Raju Nagar (JR Nagar), near Old Venkojipalem, has emerged as an example of how sustained rainwater harvesting can secure a community’s water needs.

Residents of the colony say that although groundwater levels have fallen to some extent because of poor rainfall this year, they have not faced a water crisis or had to depend on private water tankers. They attribute this to a long-term decision by the colony members to make rainwater harvesting (RWH) pits mandatory for every new building.

The initiative began in 2010, when JR Nagar Resident Welfare Association (RWA) president K.S.R. Murthy and other members decided that every apartment complex and individual house coming up in the colony should have an RWH pit. The pits were to be dug as the buildings went up.

K.S.R. Murthy points to the inlet pipe of a rainwater harvesting structure built into the roadside, where run-off from the road enters and filters into the ground in JR Nagar, Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
V. Raju

What started with three apartments has grown into a colony of more than 20 gated communities, each with 15 to 20 flats, besides around 16 individual houses. Every apartment and house has an RWH pit, and the residents have also built harvesting structures along the colony roads.

Mr. Murthy, a former scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), said the colony’s location had also helped its water conservation efforts.

“Technically, we are blessed with the location. There is a hill nearby, and during rains, water flows down towards the colony. We identified nine suitable locations in open spaces within the colony and constructed RWH structures to collect and recharge the water,” he said.

JR Nagar Resident Welfare Association president K.S.R. Murthy, left, and joint secretary Ravi Raju stand over a rainwater harvesting pit under an apartment complex in the colony near Old Venkojipalem in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
V. Raju

He further explained: “Rainwater falling on rooftops is collected through pipes and directed into a recharge pit. The pit is filled with layers of materials such as gravel, sand and stones, which help filter the water before it percolates into the ground. As the water seeps through the soil and reaches the underground aquifers, it helps replenish groundwater levels. The process prevents rainwater from being wasted.”

The colony’s RWH structures, according to Mr. Murthy, are about six feet deep and three feet wide.

Mr. Ravi Raju, joint secretary of the JR Nagar colony, said his apartment complex had around 16 flats and had never faced a water crisis since he moved there in 1996.

“We have never hired a water tanker for our water needs. Water is available at a depth of around 80 feet in our apartment premises right now. We believe this is the result of the long-term rainwater harvesting measures taken by the colony,” he said.

The residents have also tried converting unused septic tanks into rainwater harvesting pits. After the underground drainage system was introduced, the septic tanks were connected to the drainage network and fell vacant. The colony members chemically treat and clean the tanks before using them for rainwater recharge. Three such tanks in three apartment complexes are now in use as RWH pits.

The colony won the ‘Best RWA in Water Management’ award at the Water Digest World Water Awards 2023-24.

“Rainwater harvesting is a prime solution for conserving water and increasing groundwater levels. Every apartment should plan and implement it so that rainwater can be used to meet water needs,” Mr. Murthy added.