City structures have immense potential of rainwater harvest
Sunday, 13 June 2010
FE Report
Around 0.55 million square metre hard surface of Shahjalal International Airport has the capacity to harvest approximately 880 million litre rain water per annum, enough to meet the daily needs of 18,000 people living in the city.
Experts on rainwater harvest see the potential in the city's thousands of structures including flyovers, commercial buildings and apartments of collecting 15 per cent of daily water requirement by incorporating the issue with related policies, rules and regulations and water management.
Architects Qazi Muhammad Arif and Mostapha Khalid in a study claimed that approximately 28.8 million litre rainwater could be collected from 18,000 sq metre hard surface of Mohakhali flyover.
They said capturing, storing and using rainwater through some devices like catchments, pipes, storm water drain and filters not only can meet the city people's daily need for water but also help recharge the ground water level.
Dhaka Wasa supplies 1500 million litre per day (MLD) by pumping out ground water through its 536 deep tubewells against the demand 2000 MLD.
The rainwater experts who presented their findings during a seminar on 'urban rain water harvesting use and groundwater recharge on Saturday highlighted the receding water table in Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur where the situation is alarming and said all professionals, policy makers including builders, academicians must work on it immediately.
"The city's built-up areas have been growing rapidly and it alerts us to revive our traditional method of rainwater harvest," said architect Khalid.
The seminar organised by Wateraid and Institute of Architect, was addressed by state minister for science and information and communication technology Yeafess Osman as chief guest. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya chairman Nurul Islam, Dhaka Wasa chairman Golam Mostafa also spoke as special guests.
Environmental lawyer Syeda Rezwana Hasan and architect Iqbal Habib spoke on the keynote paper.
Around 0.55 million square metre hard surface of Shahjalal International Airport has the capacity to harvest approximately 880 million litre rain water per annum, enough to meet the daily needs of 18,000 people living in the city.
Experts on rainwater harvest see the potential in the city's thousands of structures including flyovers, commercial buildings and apartments of collecting 15 per cent of daily water requirement by incorporating the issue with related policies, rules and regulations and water management.
Architects Qazi Muhammad Arif and Mostapha Khalid in a study claimed that approximately 28.8 million litre rainwater could be collected from 18,000 sq metre hard surface of Mohakhali flyover.
They said capturing, storing and using rainwater through some devices like catchments, pipes, storm water drain and filters not only can meet the city people's daily need for water but also help recharge the ground water level.
Dhaka Wasa supplies 1500 million litre per day (MLD) by pumping out ground water through its 536 deep tubewells against the demand 2000 MLD.
The rainwater experts who presented their findings during a seminar on 'urban rain water harvesting use and groundwater recharge on Saturday highlighted the receding water table in Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur where the situation is alarming and said all professionals, policy makers including builders, academicians must work on it immediately.
"The city's built-up areas have been growing rapidly and it alerts us to revive our traditional method of rainwater harvest," said architect Khalid.
The seminar organised by Wateraid and Institute of Architect, was addressed by state minister for science and information and communication technology Yeafess Osman as chief guest. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya chairman Nurul Islam, Dhaka Wasa chairman Golam Mostafa also spoke as special guests.
Environmental lawyer Syeda Rezwana Hasan and architect Iqbal Habib spoke on the keynote paper.