The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) proposes to evolve standards for various processes and storage structures for rain water harvesting. It will also come out with guidelines for roof-top rain water harvesting in rural and urban areas.
The BIS has set up an experts committee for this purpose. Headed by Central Water Commission chief engineer RK Sharma, the committee includes technologists from various central and state agencies.
The standards will pertain to all aspects of water harvesting, including catchment area treatment, check dams, artificial recharge structures and structures relating to various water uses. The objective is to promote better methods of water harvesting to improve overall availability of this scarce, albeit renewable, natural resource.
Guidelines will also be formulated for activities like surface run-off harvesting, catchment area treatment, watershed development and water harvesting under special conditions such as groundwater harvesting, snow harvesting and sewage harvesting.