Towards Construction of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks
With the support of New Zealand High Commission and Ranichouri East Wood Hill Trust–New Zealand
As part of our program on “Rejuvenation of Himalayan Oaks in Association with Other Economic Plants in Tehri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, India”, HIMCON has undertaken an important initiative: the construction of rainwater harvesting tanks for multipurpose community use in the Henwal Valley catchment.
This program, supported by the New Zealand High Commission and the Ranichouri East Wood Hill Trust, addresses acute water shortages in the region and has received enthusiastic participation from local communities.
Steps Taken by HIMCON
1. Identifying & Selecting Suitable Tank Design and Material
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Design developed and tested by the Mirtola team, adapted to community requirements by SOS Organics, Almora.
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HIMCON team visited SOS Organics in July 2013 to study the tank’s components for replication in Tehri Garhwal.
Key Features of the Tank:
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Economical 40,000-liter covered underground storage tank lined with food-grade LDPE/Silpholine sheet.
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Hygienic, safe, crack-free, and virtually maintenance-free.
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Water sourced from rooftops, platforms, tank cover, and seasonal streams.
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Simple cleaning with alum (Phitkari).
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Durable roof made of corrugated sheets, resistant to corrosion, UV, and impact.
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Land requirement: 20 ft × 20 ft flat area.
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Dimensions: 20 ft × 20 ft, 7 ft underground, 1 ft above ground.
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Supplies water via gravity for both irrigation and drinking.
2. Procuring Silpholine Sheet
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After surveying suppliers across India, HIMCON selected Supreme Company, with Rama & Sons (Dehradun) as supplier.
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Ordered 10 Silpholine sheets (600-micron thickness).
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Delivered to HIMCON field office in Sabli, Tehri Garhwal in September 2013.
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Sheet size: 34 ft × 34 ft, blue in color.
3. Selecting Suitable Sites in Project Villages
Community Participation:
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Multiple meetings held with villagers and Gram Sabha members in Indwal Gaon.
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Beneficiaries selected based on willingness to maintain the tanks and use stored water for agro-horticultural activities.
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Site inspections ensured proper land suitability (20 ft × 20 ft area, non-rocky soil, slope stability).
Beneficiaries Selected for Tanks:
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Smt. Pushpa Devi (Indwal Gaon – Rewani)
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Tank: 18 × 16 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 13 members
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Land: 60 Nali
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Shri Sumer Singh (Indwal Gaon – Jagtaka Kund)
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Tank: 20 × 18 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 9 members
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Land: 60 Nali
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Smt. Yasoda Devi (Mundan Gaon)
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Tank: 20 × 20 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 4 members
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Land: –
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Smt. Krishna Devi (Kumav Gaon)
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Tank: 20 × 20 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 5 members
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Land: 60 Nali
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Smt. Bimla Devi (Indwal Gaon – Doma ka Khala)
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Tank: 16 × 16 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 8 members
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Land: 60–70 Nali
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Survir Singh (Mundan Gaon)
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Tank: 20 × 20 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 13 members
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Land: 60 Nali
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Shri Bachan Singh (Mundan Gaon)
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Tank: 20 × 20 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 9 members
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Land: 60 Nali
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Smt. Mussi Devi (Indwal Gaon)
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Tank: 19 × 15 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 5 members
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Land: 100 Nali
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Shri Kundan Singh (Indwal Gaon)
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Tank: 16 × 16 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 6 members
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Land: 25–30 Nali
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Shri Gopal Singh Rana (Indwal Gaon)
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Tank: 20 × 18 × 7 ft underground
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Family: 5 members
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Land: 50 Nali
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Community Involvement
The initiative received strong community support. Many villagers from Indwal Gaon and nearby villages have expressed interest in constructing similar water harvesting structures.
Construction Process:
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Community members actively participated in digging pits for the tanks.
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Plastering with natural mortar (mud, cow dung, husk, water) to strengthen walls and base before installing Silpholine sheets.
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Covering with Silpholine sheets and installing iron pipes for structural stability.
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Using galvanized tin sheets to cover tanks, making them independent rainwater harvesting structures.
Additional Community Efforts
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Construction of small ponds (chaals) for water percolation and recharge of underground aquifers.
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Planting oak saplings and sowing oak seeds on both community and private lands.
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Installation of slow sand filters in Indwal Gaon to provide safe drinking water.
On behalf of the mountain communities of the Garhwal Himalayas, HIMCON invites continued solidarity and support to strengthen our ongoing program for reviving and rejuvenating land, water, and forest resources.
