Although Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has given three months deadline to install rain water harvesting (RWH) units for all buildings in Ranchi failing which the owners may be forced to pay 1.5 times more holding tax, such units are yet to be put up in most of the Government buildings and residences by the Government itself. Officials claimed that by-laws are being prepared in this regard and could be done only after it gets put into place.
“Most of the Government buildings and residences lack any such arrangement; hence the Chief Minister himself has asked officials to take proper steps in this regard. By-laws for putting up water harvesting unit in Government buildings are being prepared following which, all such buildings will have those units,” said RMC PRO Naresh Prasad Sinha.
Moreover RMC itself misses its own water harvesting unit for the conservation of rain water. Another official on the other hand, claimed that all departments have been aptly intimated to put up RWH units in all Government buildings. “We have written letter to all departments to install RWH units in their building or they will also imposed penalty in the form of 1.5 times of their holding tax,” said RMC Superintendent Engineer Arvind Kumar Sharma. The deadline however, has not been fixed for them so far, he added.
Recently, the Jharkhand High Court keeping the ongoing water crisis across the State has also directed State Government to install RWH system in the Government buildings before the onset of this monsoon.
Earlier a deadline of May 31 had been given by RMC but it got extended following three months time given to building owners for self assessment of tax which is to be further submitted to the RMC.
Sharma added that as many as eight agencies have been shortlisted for assisting and advising people to get rain water harvesting system constructed in their houses.
“Three models have been prepared so far for the purpose – for small houses having an area of less than 500 square feet, the owner will have to pay not more than a sum of Rs16,000 while for medium buildings i.e. G+2, Rs44,000 has to be paid by the owner. Similarly, for big buildings like Apartments, a sum of Rs82,000 has to be paid for the construction of rain water harvesting unit inside it,” said Sinha.
Sinha further added that a deadline of three months has been given to the people for getting it constructed in their buildings or they will be charged extra 1.5 times of holding tax.
“In case of apartments, a fine of Rs1 lakh may also be imposed on them if they fail to meet the deadline. Map must have been passed along with a plan of water harvesting unit. If any kind of construction incongruity is found with the map…. fine will be imposed on them,” said Sinha.
Sinha further added that the buildings having condemned hand pumps or wells inside their campuses, rain water may be diverted them. Such buildings will be exempted from construction of rain water harvesting system, he added.