Recommendations of Working Group meeting - Planning and implementation issues related to Rain Water Harvesting(RWH)

The issues related to planning and implementation were largely concerned with water quality, budgeting and equity.

The group deemed it necessary that the following are addressed on a greater priority:

1. Centralized vs. decentralized rainwater harvesting
2. Water quality aspects in rainwater harvesting system
3. Water quality management through rainwater harvesting
4. Community participation in rainwater harvesting
5. Water budgeting
6. GIS for neighborhood-level analysis of rainwater catchment
7. Wastewater reclamation, recycle and reuse
8. Issues and challenges in dry sanitation
9. Challenges in implementing ecological sanitation in developing countries

Recommendations:

1. Incentive based approach rather than regulatory compulsion (ex. Tax rebate rather than condition for approval of a proposal).
2. Reasonable pricing of water
3. School curriculum should include rainwater harvesting
4. In rural area, sustainability in terms of level of GW should be controlled through RWH.
5. In urban area land use should be considered to safeguard ground water quality
6. Norms for supply of water for various crops be evolved and in water scarce area, food habits be guided to reduce consumption of water in producing food, such as meat and rice.
7. Volumetric charge of water will induce rainwater harvesting both in rural and urban areas
8. Agricultural universities should have close contacts with farmers to promote RWH
9. User rights need to be defined otherwise downstream users may always have a complain
10. PRIs should be administratively involved in RWH along with the water management schemes.