ABDUL WAHAB KHAN | NT Staff Reporter
PANAJI: Not a single building in the city has rainwater harvesting system in place despite the mechanism being compulsory for new buildings. The state government notified a policy on rainwater harvesting in 2008, announcing a scheme for the purpose, and there has not been a single application for the scheme.
Lackadaisical attitude of the CCP and poor awareness are defeating the intent of the water resource department for the scheme.
To keep the record straight, as per the CCP norms it is not mandatory for builders to put in place rooftop rainwater harvesting system for new buildings.
But it has been frustrating for the water resources department that in the last eight years it has not received even a single application from developers or builders in the state seeking financial assistance under the scheme.
Several factors have contributed to the failure of the rainwater harvesting scheme. The scheme stipulates that a building is eligible for the scheme if it is constructed on and above 1500 sq mts of land.
Absence of such a provision in building bye-laws, lengthy procedures, poor maintenance of structures and lack of awareness are the reasons for the lukewarm response to the scheme.
The state policy on rainwater harvesting, which had been notified in 2008, mandates that all new buildings constructed on a plot measuring more than 1500 square metres must have
rainwater harvesting system in place, not only on the plans submitted while seeking approvals but also after occupational certificates are issued. The policy directs local civic bodies and licensing authorities to make water conservation mandatory for structures with necessary amendments in bye-laws for new buildings.
The subsidy scheme was formulated on reimbursement basis covering the 50 per cent cost or Rs 2.5 lakh spent in putting in place the rainwater harvesting system.
An official from the water resources department told ‘The Navhind Times’ that it has been now for eight years since the state government notified the policy making rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory in housing structures.
The policy urges licensing authorities to ensure that no building is constructed without having provision for water conservation, he said, adding that it has not been ensured that rules are abided by builders and developers.
An official from the CCP said that most of the buildings in the city don’t have the rainwater harvesting system because it is not mandatory for them to have the system while obtaining occupational certificate.
Experts said the civic administration is not doing enough to save water. Rainwater harvesting could hold the key to meeting water needs at least for non-drinking purposes.
President of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India, Goa, Jagannath Prabhudessai said that there is no awareness among developers community about the rainwater harvesting scheme, and that there is no mention in the rule book about it.
“But still a few are going for it (rainwater harvesting) at their own cost… I feel in near future every developer should take such project,” Prabhudessai said.
However, it is learnt that the rainwater harvesting system has takers in industrial units, where it is put in place by the units at their own cost.
In 2015, the WRD executed around 12 rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging works in industrial estates.
“The state government allocate around Rs3 lakh every year to the water resource department under the rainwater harvesting scheme to assist in rainwater harvesting projects. None of the top civic officials seem to be interested in the scheme. There is no discussion about it through the year, except during an awareness campaign,” said an official from the water resource department.