Rainwater cultivation could be a key to meeting water demand

While presenting a low-cost rainwater cultivation method, employed inside the Housing and Building Research Institute area, researchers and experts said that cultivating rainwater can meet water demand across the country.

Cultivated water might not be used for drinking purposes, but rather it can satisfy the demand for household needs as well, they added.

In her keynote paper on “study of rainwater quality in and efficiency of storage tank made of RCC ring”, Nahid Ferdous Dristy, research architect at Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), said that the research on undersoil conducted from July 2020 to October 2023 found that all the examinations to find out possible contamination came reasonably low.

According to the researcher, they have conducted 10 water quality assessment tests at local laboratories.

Apart from the experts, the academicians, researchers and senior architects who were present at the programme made several recommendations, including a low-cost rainwater cultivation method at the ground made of soil or other elements other than soft clay, the technical aspects of the storage for different sizes and heights.

They also called for conducting a comparative study, replacing the storage tank wall to plastic from the RCC ring that has been used in the study.

Research officer of the institute Md Wahab Ali in his paper on “comparative study of the effect of different types of chemical admixtures in eco-friendly sand cement block” showed how different chemical admixtures can affect sand cement blocks.

At the programme, the academicians also urged the HRBI to involve more university students in the research so that they can learn practically from it.

Director General of HBRI Md Ashraful Alam who presided over the seminar said that they conducted research to find the cheaper solution for the people so that they can avail it and get access to the facilities.

At present, the institute is carrying out more than 60 researches and four of them will be published this year, he said, adding that only research can bring the possible cheapest and sustainable solution for the people.

Principal Research Engineer of HBRI Mohammad Parvez Khadem, offiGcials from Public Works Department (PWD) and academicians were also present.