The Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council has been promoting rain water harvesting through successful pilots. The initiative has witnessed an increase in the ground water levels of wells in the project as well as in surrounding areas, as well as a reduction in pumping use and a reduction of water-supply charges, and has also encouraged re-use of water.




Badlapur, also known as Kulgaon-Badlapur, is one of the fastest growing cities in Mumbai conurbation. Due to the population pressure in nearby cities like Mumbai and Thane, many people working in Mumbai and other cities have moved to Badlapur. Badlapur, a class B municipal council, has a current population of 0.14 million and a total area of 36 sq. km. The city is divided into 34 municipal wards. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has developed an industrial area within the limits of Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council.
Kulgaon-Badlapur city is connected to Mumbai metropolis, and has a large number of middle-class families and a high population growth. The Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council (KBMC) has initiated the Pramod Mahajan Water Supply Scheme, whose key objectives are providing potable and irrigation water, increasing groundwater recharge, reducing storm water discharges and reducing seawater ingress.
A project was initiated in the laboratory with artificial soil to find out water velocities in various combinations of soils, the absorption rate in various strata, suction capacity etc. Topography and other natural conditions were also taken into consideration.

Based on the success of this project, the Kulgaon-Badlapur municipal council implemented a pilot project which included first-stage roof-top rainwater harvesting with groundwater recharge through percolation pits or bore wells, in six housing societies. After the successful implementation of the pilot project, systems for rooftop rainwater harvesting with bore-well recharge through percolation pits were implemented in 40 housing societies.

Water injections were done at depths ranging from 15' to 150' based on the soil structure. The calculated area for rainwater storage was about 2 km, with the harvesting locations being a mix of basalt, loose yellowish-brown basalt and moderately-weathered rock. The rainwater harvesting system was designed with the following components:

• Collection pipes for harvested natural water
• Filtration of water through high-pressure sand filter
• UV system to make water completely bacteria-free
• High-pressure tank for distribution of filtered water
• Chain of supply pipes to deliver water.

By using technical methods, terrace water from all the buildings was collected and allowed to percolate in rainwater harvesting units and absorption pits through different graded media. Then the water from these bore wells was drawn, treated and supplied to 40 societies for non-potable purposes. This technology helped raise the water table and the efficiency of bore wells. The expected water harvest was about 200 cu.m. a day. The water can be used for secondary purposes and even for bathing, as it is treated with alum and sodium hypo-chlorite. The water after treatment is tested every 15 days.
With nearly 200 cu.m. of rainwater being harvested per day under the scheme, the groundwater level in the wells in the project area and surrounding areas has increased significantly. The rise in the water table has reduced pumping costs, which in turn has led to a reduction of water-supply charges from Rs. 8.6/kl to Rs. 3/kl. Further, during the rainy season (approximately for 90 days), there has been an additional reduction of pumping charges, as rainwater is directly taken into the collection tank, treated and reused for secondary purposes that include bathing.
Prior to the implementation of this scheme, each member of the housing society was paying a flat fee of Rs. 200 a month towards electricity and other maintenance charges. With the initiative, the contribution per member came down to Rs. 70 a month. The technology is also easily replicable.

For further details, contact:

Mr. S. V. Dahasahashra
Member Secretary
Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran
4th Floor, Express Towers
Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400 021