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@article{194191,
        author = {Er. Balwinder Bhardwaj},
        title = {Precision-Driven Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Framework for Enhancing the Resilience of Himachal Pradesh Jal Shakti Vibhag Water Supply Schemes to Seasonal Water Deficits},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {2944-2953},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=194191},
        abstract = {Water security has emerged as a critical challenge in hilly regions where domestic water availability is increasingly affected by population growth, urbanization, climate variability, and growing dependence on centralized water supply systems. In Himachal Pradesh, households frequently experience water shortages during lean and non-monsoon periods despite receiving considerable annual rainfall. The seasonal nature of rainfall, combined with limited household-level planning, has resulted in inefficient utilization of available water resources, thereby increasing pressure on conventional supply systems.
A substantial portion of rainwater received in residential areas of Himachal Pradesh remains unutilized at the household level. Rainwater falling on rooftops, open courtyards, and paved surfaces generally flows directly into nearby khads, streams, and rivers due to steep slopes and hilly terrain. In the absence of systematic capture and storage practices, this naturally available resource is lost as surface runoff. Consequently, residents continue to rely heavily on the public water supply and regularly demand increased water provision from the Jal Shakti Vibhag for daily domestic needs, even during years of normal or above-average rainfall.
This study presents an integrated domestic rainwater utilization framework aimed at enhancing sustainable water security at the household level. The proposed framework emphasizes planned capture, storage, and utilization of rainwater within residential premises, with a focus on non-potable daily applications such as kitchen gardening, cleaning, washing, toilet flushing, and other household chores. By storing rainwater received during monsoon months and utilizing it throughout the year, households can significantly reduce their dependence on conventional water sources. The study further highlights that effective domestic rainwater utilization does not necessarily require complex or high-cost infrastructure. Instead, improved awareness, simple planning strategies, and decentralized household-level adoption can transform rainwater from an unused runoff into a reliable supplementary resource. The proposed framework offers a practical, region-specific, and sustainable approach for strengthening domestic water resilience in hilly areas. It also contributes to reducing long-term stress on public water supply agencies and supports the broader goal of sustainable water management in Himachal Pradesh.},
        keywords = {Rainwater Utilization, Domestic Water Management, Sustainable Water Security, Household Water Systems, Rainwater Runoff, Decentralized Water Resources, Hilly Regions, Himachal Pradesh.},
        month = {March},
        }