lack of sufficient awareness among the people regarding rainwater harvesting system is putting the State Government initiative into just a futile water conservation exercise in the city.
It may be mentioned that the Chhattisgarh Government has made it compulsory to install the rain water harvesting system while carrying out any construction above 500 square ft. As per the rules, Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) charges Rs 15,000 to Rs 10 lakh from persons applying for the building permissions as guarantee to install the system. Besides, the civic body charges Rs 1 lakh/hectare for the open spaces including agriculture land.
The charges vary as per the size of the construction and are refundable on giving proof of installing the system. However, only about 10 per cent of the people, who were given building permission by RMC during the last three years, installed the system. As per RMC records, as many as 9654 applications of building maps were approved from 2010 to 2013 but only 94 applicants were refunded the amount on their installing the system.
“In the current year, about 20 per cent people, who submitted the guarantee amount while applying for the building permissions, were refunded the money, so far. During the inspection, we found that rainwater harvesting system was installed at their buildings” claimed RMC Executive Engineer and in-charge of RMC City Investment, Shibhulal Patel adding that people are gradually adopting the system.
However, the members of CG Hydro Geoscientist Association, which is working to spread awareness among people to install the system from last 20 years, accused the authorities concerned for showing negligence in implementing the rules. “As per the uses of ground level water and for our convenient, we have divided the groundwater users into two categories i.e. urban and rural. While the urban users include domestic consumers, the rural users are farmers, factories, industries and other commercial units” described president of the association, Vipin Dubey.
Dubey added that large amount of ground water is being fetched for agriculture and industrial use. In the absence of proper monitoring and mechanism to maintain the groundwater level, the same is dropping significantly. He expressed the need of strictly implanting the rules of installing rainwater harvesting system.
The members also offered suggestions including launching awareness drive, giving rebate in property tax on installing the system, making more provisions to ensure maximum installation of the system and taking strict actions to ensure proper implementation of the rules.
“Despite the instructions, no harvest system was installed at most of the government buildings in the State. Similarly, most of factories, industries and other commercial units have not adopted the system” claimed Dubey adding that installation of rainwater harvesting system at these building can prove great help in increasing the groundwater level.
“The cost of installing rainwater harvesting system in a house, built in 1000 sq ft area, is around Rs 8000 while a similar expense is incurred on installing the system to cover open land of about 5000 sq ft” he said.