Despite joint efforts by the state government and Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) during the last decade to ensure the installation of rainwater harvesting systems at all the entitled houses of the city, the RMC has been able to achieve just above 50 per cent success in this direction as on May 31 this year.
A law, making the installation of rainwater harvesting systems mandatory at entitled houses, had come into effect in the state in the year 2011-12. From 2011-12 to May 31 this year, rainwater harvesting systems could be installed at 3787 private houses and 410 government buildings in 70 Zones of RMC, out of a total of 7945 applications received by the RMC for the installation of the systems. Besides, rainwater harvesting systems have been installed in 50 gardens across the city. Almost all the government buildings in the city are equipped with the systems, according to the RMC.
RMC town planner B R Agrawal told that the state government has made a lot of efforts since the law came into force in 2011-12, but the people are not ready to understand the importance of rainwater harvesting. As per rules, a house constructed in the 1500 sqft or above land area is entitled to the installation of the system. Agrawal said that they have not maintained records of the houses that installed the systems before 2011-12.
The RMC has a monitoring mechanism to check whether entitled houses have installed the systems and impose fines if found in violation of the mandatory installation rules, said Agrawal. “We charge the house owner Re 1 per sqft on an annual basis as a penalty, so that house owners are forced to adopt the system,” said Agrawal.
He said that around 4000 entitled houses in all the zones of the RMC are left to be covered under the rainwater harvesting systems. He also emphasised on the need for maintenance of filter and filter media every year for better results. It costs a minimum of Rs 15000 to install a system, he said.
“The groundwater level in the city limits is depleting alarmingly and a severe water crisis may arise after five years from now. We should give what we take from the earth and the rainwater harvesting system can be one of the best options, but the people are not ready to understand,” said Agrawal.
Workshops are being organised at regular intervals involving the geohydrologists registered at the RMC. Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and Mayor Aijaz Dhebar are doing their part to make people understand the importance of the rainwater harvesting system, said Agrawal.
Hydrogeo scientist Vipin Dubey also expressed concern over the depletion of groundwater and said that the RMC should strictly implement the rainwater harvesting law in the city limits and assess its benefits every year. The installation should be done in a scientific way with the help of geohydrologists for better results and long-term benefits, he added.
