Engineering colleges in Kerala contested for the best ideas and implementation of rain harvesting projects in a competition conducted by the National Service Scheme cell of the Abdul Kalam Technological University on August 9. The programme was held to commomerate India's 75th Independence day. Young engineers from the state presented their ideas on rain water harvesting methods in front of a panel of judges.
Sherin Yuseph, a second year Civil Engineering student of Thejus Engineering College (TEC), Thrissur, bagged the joint first prize. Sherin, all of 19 years, wanted to overcome the space constraints of the modern concrete jungles. "I designed something that can be applied where there is no space for digging in the ground. I took a normal housing plan, and created the rain water harvesting system on the terrace," says Sherin. The terrace is essentially divided into two portions. In one small portion is the storage tank, and the rest of the terrace is a slope via which the water can flow into the tank. The tank is created by increasing the floor-to-ceiling height.
"The water is then connected to the plumbing of the house, and is purified at the point of it's release from the tank by a vortex filter. The biggest challenge here is the sloping mechanism. Good coating and waterproofing systems need to be in place. Also, the structure can be put in place only during the construction of the house. It cannot be added later," Sherin states. This young engineer has been giving tuition to younger students to cover her college fee. "My dad works as a driver, and he lost his job during the lockdown. In any case, I believe that we should take care of our studies once we turn 18," says Sherin, adding that her parents have always supported her. Once interested in Agricultural Research, Sherin says that now that she has taken up civil engineering, she wishes to ensure she designs sustainable and eco-friendly buildings.
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The first prize was shared by 21-year-old Liya Antony of TEC, who is pursuing her BTech in Computer Engineering. "This was my first time ever participating in a competition. My friends persuaded me to give it a go," says Liya. Her plan for rainwater harvesting included a catchment area such as a well or a tank in every house that collects the water when it rains. The water is then transferred via PVC pipes. For filtering the water, Liya says that digging a pit, and introducing sand in it. "Through this project, we aim to reduce scarcity of water, improve groundwater level, and reduce flooding in urban areas," says Liya, adding that this system had earlier been implemented at a house in Erumapetty village in Thrissur.
