Potential of Rainwater Harvesting in Himachal Pradesh

World-wide pressure on water resources is increasing due to population growth, groundwater mining and climate change. Domestic and agricultural water usage is a significant component of water demand. Himachal Pradesh is experiencing drought like situations since last decade. The intensity of drought is increasing year after year for the past six years. The state is facing serious water shortage problem during the summers. The rainwater harvesting can be implemented as a viable alternative to conventional water supply or on-farm irrigation projects. The water can be stored either in a storage tank or in a soil media as groundwater. The rainwater can be harvested using eco-friendly low cost technologies such as UV-resistant plastic lined ponds, ferro-cement tanks, RCC tanks, etc. and used for multiple purposes. An attempt has been to highlights the various rain water harvesting methods that can be used effectively to augment the water supply position in Himachal Pradesh. There is need to change some existing policies relating to water management to tackle the water shortage during scarcity.