Bardhaman district, West Bengal, houses the fourth Rain Centre established by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on 7th February 2009. CSE is situated in New Delhi and is the pioneer NGO that works for protection of environment and rain water harvesting. It had rightly identified the potential of the district for setting up a rain centre and convinced the government officials about the benefits and easy ways of harnessing rain water. The decision for the establishment of Rain Centre was then taken to make people aware about the importance of conserving rain water and of putting efforts for the same.
Rain Centre has been very significant to combat the problems of water scarcity in the district. The `Paschimanchal` region of the district being the most affected area encountering the problem of water scarcity served as the site for setting up the Rain Centre. A portion of land was offered by Salanpur Panchayat Samity in their office premises along with a part of construction cost. Damodar Valley Corporation also came forward on request of District Magistrate of Bardhaman, and provided a huge economic aid of about 10.64 lakh to Bardhaman District Administration for establishing the Rain Centre in Bardhaman. Owing to the constant monitoring and efforts of a number of people, this proud possession of the district shaped up as the first Rain Centre of eastern India.
The prominent features of this Rain Centre are the permanent exhibition of panels that carry information on issues related to water. It also houses demonstration models, working models and artificial rainfall. A functional arrangement for rainwater harvesting including groundwater recharge system and storage of water for washing and drinking purposes is also present in the centre. It also provides a water testing kit for examining the portability of drinking water. Eco tours and various workshops for plumbers, masons, teachers, students, engineers etc. are also included in the objectives of Rain Centre.
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