Rain Centre functioning as part of KRWSA was constituted in the year 2004 to promote Rain Water Harvesting in the State. The initiation to constitute Rain Centre was the severe drought hit the State during that time. Initially the Centre was focusing on promoting the concept of Rain Water Harvesting and as part of it a number of IEC activities along with training programmes were conducted throughout the State. Demo RWH tanks of various capacities were constructed in public institutions with the idea of disseminating the ferro cement technology to the general public.
Considering the importance for inculcating the habit of rain water harvesting as alternate source of water among people, a detailed proposal was submitted to the Planning Board for including in the 12th Five Year Plan. The proposal was approved and budget allocation was sanctioned from the first year of 12th Plan and the same is continued.

Aim of RWH Programme:

• The broad aim of the programme is to improve the drinking water facility of the individual households and schools that are facing acute shortage of water.
• The concept of harvesting rain water for drinking and other purposes are made known to the general community and student community while they are involving in the implementation and post implementation period of the programme.
• The message of rain water harvesting as alternative source for water and conservation of the rain water for the future is passed on to all generations irrespective of their age, profession etc.
• The conception of good quality water will contribute to the enhanced health and welfare of the people through improved access to drinking water.
• The programme shall be contributing to the sustainability of the water bodies as this programme ensures ground water recharging along with rain water harvesting and that in turn will become long term measures taken for addressing the water scarcity problems

 Objectives of RWH programme: 

• To popularize RWH with individual households as alternative solution to drinking water scarcity.
• To institutionalize RWH as a means of water conservation and alternate/additional solution for drinking water in public/Government aided institutions.
• To promote the concept of RWH & GWR across the State aimed at building awareness of the general public on water conservation.
• To initiate campaign for popularizing the concept of well recharge for improving the water table towards ensuring water security.

Process of Selecting the Grama Panchayaths/Institutions for RWH  programme:-

• The project area for the implementation of RWH & GWR programme under State Plan Scheme is identified as the GPs where there is acute shortage of drinking water problem.
• The GPs categorized under high land and low land areas are always most deserving and suitable for adapting to RWH programme and solving the drinking water scarcity.
• The backwardness, difficulty faced by rural women in fetching water, percentage of coverage of drinking water supply schemes in the GP etc shall be criteria for selecting and short listing the GPs.

Description of the programme:

• Many of the Grama Panchayths, especially the Grama Panchayths belonging to hilly and coastal regions are seriously planning to adopt RWH as a technology option to solve the drinking water issues of their GPs. Similarly, many institutions with demand for large quantity of water have evinced interest in establishing rain water harvesting units as an additional source of drinking water.
• The programme is implemented on a cost sharing basis. The cost sharing pattern that is followed for the construction of RWH units in individual households is, the beneficiaries belonging to BPL category shall have to contribute 5% of the total unit cost and the families belonging to APL category shall have to contribute 10% of the total unit cost.
• The need and importance of Rain Water Harvesting under the light of severe flood hit all over the State has once again accelerated. The heavy floods and landslides that have occurred during two years back have destroyed all the water bodies including the individual house hold wells which led to the shortage of drinking water in flood hit areas.
• Thus the water quality issues raised out it resulted to create shortage of drinking water. The rain water harvested and stored in the RWH tanks became a blessing to several families as they had the pure water to drink and survive during the flood period. The concerned GPs and households took initiatives to share the water with the families that had shortage of drinking water.

Implementation Arrangements

• The community based demand driven RWH programme shall be implemented in the most deserving and low water supply coverage GPs.
• The beneficiaries of the programme shall be identified and selected by the GPs that are selected for the programme.
• The field staff of Rain Centre, KRWSA will assist the selected GPs in the process of identifying the beneficiaries as part of their community mobilization activities.
• The construction of RWH tanks along with the recharge pit will be entrusted with experienced and competent institutions/individuals with proven track record through e-tendering process.

Merits of RWH Programme

• Potable drinking water with low investment.
• Rain water can be stored and used all throughout rainy season.
• Rain water stored during rainy season can be used in the summer months.
• Simple technology and low maintenance cost.
• Rain water collected and stored without the help of electricity.

Limitations of RWH programme 

• Lack of awareness on RWH concept, a large portion of public are not motivated to adapt RWH as alternative source for drinking water.
• In the process of construction a large quantity of water is required and in many locations due to lack of water the quality of construction cannot be maintained.
• Non availability of skilled masons affects the construction quality.

Various other RWH programmes:

• Open well recharge programme through Rain Water Harvesting.
• Construction of RWH tanks of 10000 litre capacity to schools under Jala Souharda Vidyalayam Pathathy.
• Flood Moderation Programme in Thiruvanathapuram City..
• Community Managed Rain Water Harvesting storage tanks for SC/ST/other backward colonies.

Kerala is considered to be a water surplus State; the irony is that the State regularly faces acute water scarcity in the summer months. Much of this can be attributed to poor water management practices and limited water conservation measures. Rain Water Harvesting, as a water conservation measure, needs to be popularized by the State as a means of involving the public in effective water management. The RWH activities and recommendations is included in the 13th Five Year Plan proposal and submitted to Government for bringing a major reform in the water sector through Rain Water Harvesting.