Tamil Nadu govt launches statewide rainwater harvesting drive to boost groundwater levels

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a statewide campaign to improve rainwater harvesting (RWH), with an emphasis on restoring neglected systems and expanding facilities to improve groundwater recharge.

An order issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department calls for stronger implementation of rainwater harvesting provisions under building regulations. Rooftop collection systems are to be encouraged across residential homes, apartment buildings, educational institutions, commercial properties and industrial units. Buildings that do not currently have such arrangements will also be brought into the initiative.

The campaign will extend beyond rooftops. Officials have been asked to facilitate check dams near water extraction points and construct soak pits at open water-drawing locations to allow rainwater to seep into the soil. Inspections will be conducted to assess the condition of existing installations, with damaged or non-operational systems requiring repairs. Where feasible, older structures may be upgraded or redesigned to improve their effectiveness.

Rainwater harvesting became a major policy priority in Tamil Nadu in 2002 under then chief minister J Jayalalithaa, when the government made such structures compulsory in buildings. However, many installations gradually fell into disrepair. The latest campaign seeks to revive the original initiative and make water conservation a collective public responsibility.