Gurgaon, India, September 30, 2003 – As part of a Water Management program at Agon, Gugaon district, Haryana, a rooftop rainwater harvest structure has been installed on the village mosque. In recent years Agon has faced serious water shortages, in part due to a falling water table. During the summer months domestic wells run dry and there is essentially no surplus water for irrigation. Recharging of groundwater by efficient rainwater harvesting is therefore crucial.

Collection from rooftops is a tried and successful rainwater harvesting technique in India. Dissemination of this simple technology is not yet widespread however. One liter of water can be collected from only one millimeter of rain falling on one square meter. The surface area of the rooftop of the village mosque in Agon is 390 square meters. Agon receives an annual average rainfall of 647 millimeters. The mosque rooftop can potentially harvest 205,000 liters of water.

The Foundation suggested a rooftop collection system to the village Water Committee. The Committee in turn proposed that a defunct village well could be used as the channel to recharge the groundwater with the collected rain. The Foundation made its help conditional on the Committee cleaning away all debris that had accumulated in the well, and on its procuring Government funds for partial financing of the project. The clean-up was completed in early August, and Rs 3,000 was procured in at the same time. The Foundation contributed Rs 7,000 and the project was completed at the end of August.

Harvesting of the heavy September monsoon rains has contributed to raising the local water table. The previously defunct well is now beginning to fill and will be used for the neighborhood’s domestic cleaning needs, as well as for watering cattle.

For further information please contact:

The Sehgal Foundation
Dr. (Ms) Ellora Mubashir;
289, Sector 17A,
Gurgaon, Haryana-122001, India