PONDA: As ironical as it may sound, but even though Goa receives more than 120 inches of rain every year, most of it is wasted and allowed to drain into the Arabian Sea and subsequently people face acute water shortage during summer.
The government is yet to reap benefits of water harvesting and the results begin to be visible each year during the months of April, May and June, when there is acute water shortages caused by the increasing demand of a growing population and burgeoning industries.
Even though the government does not have a proper water management policy and does not utilise the abundant rain water, water harvesting is not encouraged.
Interviews with environment-friendly people revealed that every house in Goa can be self-reliant if rain water harvesting is methods are incorporated.
Dr Deelip Bandekar from Khadpabandh, who does not rely on water from the treatment plant, says he decided to use his basement as storage tank nine years ago. Today he stores around 2.8 lakh litres, which is used for gardening, washing etc in his clinic and the entire village.
According to Deelip during the rainy season they usually do not harvest during the first fifteen days but allow water to flow to clean the roof of the clinic gets clean and then once that is done they start harvesting water.
The water that flows from roof is channelised in one chamber where a cloth is fitted which the water enters into the basement tank. There are around four tanks and the rain water remains drinkable for two years.
