• Conservation of roof top rain water in urban areas and utilizing it to augment ground water storage by artificial recharge. 
• Requires connecting the outlet pipe from roof top to divert collecting water to existing well/tubewell/borewell or a specially designed well. 
• Urban housing complexes and industrial buildings having large roof area or a group of residential buildings can be utilized for this purpose.

• To augment ground water storage and control decline of water levels. 
• To improve ground water quality 
• To reduce surface runoff which chokes the storm drains and to avoid flooding of drains 
• To reduce soil erosion. 
• To increase the availability of water

How to do it

• Abandoned dug well . 
• Abandoned running hand pump . 
• Recharge pit .
• Recharge trench . 
• Gravity head recharge well . 
• Recharge shaft. 
• Defunct borewell. 

• This is an appropriate option for augmenting ground water storage in urban areas, where natural recharge has been considerably reduced due to increased urban activities and not much land is available for implementing any other artificial recharge measures. 
• Monsoon run-off which otherwise flows into sewers and storm drains and is wasted is harvested and utilized. 
• Rainwater is bacteriologically safe, free from organic matter and is soft in nature.
• It helps in reducing the flood hazard.
• It improves the quality of ground water through dilution, specially for fluoride & nitrate. 
• Rain water may be harnessed at place of need and may be utilized at the time of need. 
• The structures required for harvesting rain water are simple, economical and eco-friendly. 
  
  Source: Bhagirath (Journal)