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:

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If saved wisely, rainwater can be an effective solution for water scarcity. Picture source: Fresh water systems

As Dayanand Krishnan, a Chennai-based engineer who’s been harvesting rainwater since 2002, using a simple method, puts it, “The entire system required only Rs 150, and can be installed by anyone at home.”

Here’s how you can get started, in just 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Assess your catchment area (usually your........

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