Every year, the monsoon brings chaos to Indian cities — flooded streets in Mumbai, overflowing drains in Delhi, waterlogged homes in Kerala. But amidst this mess, there’s something most of us forget: all that water rushing away is a resource we could use.

Why harvest rainwater?

India receives about 4,000 billion cubic metres of rainfall annually, yet most of it goes to waste. While urban centres battle waterlogging, they often face severe water shortages just months later. The irony? All that rain could have been stored, filtered, and used to recharge borewells, reduce bills, and keep households running through dry spells.

Rainwater harvesting is a simple, low-cost solution that addresses all of this. By capturing and storing rain, you can:

• Reduce your dependency on tankers or municipal supply
• Recharge your borewell or open well
• Cut down your water bills
• Contribute to groundwater conservation
• Avoid waterlogging around your home during monsoon

As Dayanand Krishnan, a

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