https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Dindigul Takes Rainwater Harvesting To Another Level, Enters Four Record Books

Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district created a record in rainwater harvesting by constructing 611 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures in the shortest span of 21 days This feat has been recognised by the Elite World Record Agency, Asian Records Academy, India Records Academy and Tamilan Book of Records The main objective is to conserve every drop of rainwater and put it to immediate use. The rainwater collected in the rooftop is filtered, stored in the sump and reused for various purposes.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The district administration of Dindigul in Tamil Nadu has set an example for other districts by taking rainwater harvesting to another level. The district has already entered various record books for its rainwater harvesting initiatives. It has earned a place in Elite World Record Agency, Asian Records Academy, India Records Academy and Tamilian Book of Records by setting up 611 rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in the shortest span of 21 days.

Indian Masterminds interacted with District Collector of Dindigul, S. Visakan, to get details about their rooftop rainwater harvesting initiative that has attracted worldwide attraction.

AIM

The main objective is to conserve every drop of rainwater and put it to immediate use. Conventional rooftop rainwater harvesting structures aim at collecting the rooftop rainwater and letting it into a soak pit for groundwater recharge. However, “In this rooftop rainwater harvesting method, the rainwater collected in the rooftop is filtered and stored in the sump and reused for various purposes like hand washing, toilets, utensil cleaning, etc,” explained DC S. Visakan.

METHOD

While sharing details about the method of RWH, the officer further said that the rainwater collected on rooftop was filtered using a filter media and stored in the sump.

In case of more than one building, junction chambers were built to ensure necessary gradation. The rainwater thus channelized is then let into a filtration media. “The filtration media contains three layers of metals in descending sizes. The filtration media could either be a vertical or horizontal soak pit depending on the need and area availability. This ensures that the water is cleansed of silt and impurities,” he said.

There are four chambers in the filtration media of which the first and last chambers contain a silt trap. The other three chambers contain metal and sand in descending order of sizes. Wire mesh is provided before each chamber’s outlet to ensure that the metal does not get washed away into the sump. The water, after passing through all layers of the filter media, is then let into the sump.

“The sumps are built from sizes varying from 9000 litres to 27000 litres depending on the rooftop area.  The sump is provided with an outlet which will lead to a nearby abandoned bore well/open well or soak pit which is converted into a recharge structure,” Mr. Visakan explained.

Thus, during normal rains, the collected rainwater would be filtered and stored in the sump. During heavy rains, the excess water would flow from the sump through the outlet pipe into a nearby abandoned bore well/open well or soak pit which is converted into a recharge structure. The water is pumped to an overhead storage tank using this motor.

BUILDINGS USED FOR RWH

Mr. Visakan said that in the initial phase, 611 government buildings, like Panchayat Union Schools, Panchayat Office Buildings, E-service centres, were chosen to establish these rainwater harvesting structures. “As these structures have been built across majority of Panchayat Union primary and middle schools, it has now been ensured that these schools will be water self-sufficient,” he said.

Adequate care has been taken by the administration to sensitise teachers about the usage of the water for purposes like toilets, hand washing and utensil washing. “Teachers have been strictly instructed to not use this water for drinking water purpose,” the officer said.

HUGE STORING CAPACITY

The total sump capacity built across 611 locations in 21 days was 80 lakh litres. Thus, in a single rain, Dindigul district is now equipped to store 80 lakh litres of water for reuse. “A rainfall of 1mm over an area of one square meter will provide us with 1 litre of water. The combined area of buildings taken up for building rainwater harvesting structures in Dindigul is 1,03,033 square meters,” Mr. Visakan informed.

Dindigul district receives an average rainfall of 1000 mm per year. Thus, the capacity to store and reuse rainwater in Dindigul district in a year is 10.3 crore litres of water which is equivalent to the storage capacity of a small dam.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Punjab-Haryana-High-Court-resized
Punjab & Haryana High Court Initiates Suo Motu Case Over Denial of Security to Judicial Officers
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Launches 'Class of New Law' to Train Personnel in Modern Crime-Fighting Techniques
Nalco
Dividend Alert: NALCO Announces ₹10 Dividend for FY25, Record Date on September 19 - Details Inside
Gwalior Tourism Conclave
Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior Hosts Two-Day Tourism Conclave Focused on Investment & Culture
IA Rescue
Service Before Self: Indian Army Rescues 600+ in Major Flood Relief Operations in Jammu, Pathankot & Punjab
Coal_India_AGM
Coal India Reports Strong FY25 Performance, Unveils Modernization Plans at 51st AGM
PFC logo resized Power Finance Corporation Ltd
PFC’s 39th AGM Reaffirms Its Position as India’s Largest NBFC with ₹11 Lakh Crore Balance Sheet
Bank of Baroda
Bank of Baroda Slashes Car Loan and Mortgage Rates to Boost Festive Season Demand - Know How It Benefits You!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-25 at 13.56
Operation Hunt: IPS Dr. Karanraj Vaghela’s Mission to Nab Valsad’s Most Wanted
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Punjab-Haryana-High-Court-resized
Punjab & Haryana High Court Initiates Suo Motu Case Over Denial of Security to Judicial Officers
Bihar Police
Bihar Police Launches 'Class of New Law' to Train Personnel in Modern Crime-Fighting Techniques
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-25 at 13.56
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT