In spite of a looming water crisis, the Delhi government and the various civic agencies are still to get their act together.NEHA LALCHANDANI writes The rapid pace of urbanization is putting immense pressure on the countrys natural resources and one of the first things to run out in the next few decades will be the most basic requirement for civilization water.Delhi is already facing a massive shortage of this precious,and fast depleting,natural resource and the state government and various civic agencies are having to put in place strict controls to deal with the groundwater depletion.Delhis population is growing at a rapid clip with the increasing pace of urbanization and the economic growth bringing in a phenomenal migratory population every day.Since its water resources are limited,supply to several parts has been reduced to once a day while large areas are yet to even get a basic connection.The easiest way to deal with at least part of the problem is to ensure conservation and preservation of groundwater resources,a major component of which is rainwater harvesting.The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has projected a demand of 1,100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water by 2011 whereas the supply has been estimated at only 880 MGD.The Yamuna has no additional water to meet this demand in fact,the Yamuna does not have the capacity to meet even current demand.As several parts of the city,especially the unauthorized areas,are not getting any Delhi Jal Board (DJB) supply,they are dependent almost entirely on groundwater resources.Predictably,this has led to a massive decline in the water table in all parts of the city.In 2001,while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Vinod Jain,director of an NGO Tapas,the Delhi high court asked the government to consider making rainwater harvesting compulsory in the city.By July 01,the government made this compulsory for all constructions coming up on a plot size of 100 square metres or more.In 2004,under a fresh petition,rainwater harvesting was made compulsory even for flyovers that were less than 8 metre in height.Now,10 years down the line,poor and inept implementation and monitoring of the system has killed off the programme the exceptions being in fresh developments,which are primarily riding on increased public awareness and the current brouhaha over climate change.
QUICK BITES IN JULY 2001,AFTER A HIGH COURT DIRECTIVE,THE DELHI GOVERNMENT MADE IT COMPULSORY FOR ALL CONSTRUCTIONS COMING UP ON A PLOT SIZE OF 100 SQUARE METRES OR MORE TO INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS.NOW,10 YEARS DOWN THE LINE,POOR AND INEPT IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THE SYSTEM HAS KILLED OFF THE PROGRAMME
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The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has directed through public notices issued between March 2001 and August 2004 to group-housing societies, institutions,schools,hotels,industrial establishments,farmhouses in South and Southwest districts and grouphousing societies located outside notified areas of the NCT of Delhi to adopt rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in their premises.The ministry of urban development & poverty alleviation (Delhi division) has also made it mandatory under modifications to its building bylaws of 1983 that water harvesting through storing of water runoffs including rainwater in all new building on plots of 100 square metres and above will be mandatory.All buildings having a minimum discharge of 10,000 litres and above per day shall incorporate wastewater recycling system.The recycled water should be used for horticultural purposes".There are those who say that rainwater harvesting is highly cost intensive and they would not be able to derive any direct benefits from it,there are several examples in the country that can prove them wrong.Chennai has had an almost 100% success rate with rainwater harvesting,and so has Bangalore.In these cities,non-compliance of rainwater regulations invites a heavy penalty and the governments,serious about implementing the project,ensured that they had a proper monitoring system in place.Rainwater harvesting was made mandatory for all buildings in Chennai in 2002,and interestingly,almost everyone complied even though the government refused to provide any subsidy for its implementation.The push came from the governments directive that noncompliance of the law would result in a heavy penalty.The government ordered water supply to be cut to those buildings where rainwater harvesting was not carried out.In some places,electric supply was also cut off if residents or owners offered too much resistance.Sekar Raghavan,director of Rain Centre in Chennai,said that results of large-scale water harvesting had become evident by January 2006.In a survey carried out then,it was found that wells that had been dry for over 30 years started getting replenished.After the 2005 monsoon,we saw immediate results.Groundwater levels went up by as much as 6-8 metres in several areas, he said.Bangalore,whose water comes from the Cauvery river nearly 100km away from the city,depended on groundwater for 40% of its water demand,which led to a sharp fall in the water table here.Finally,rainwater harvesting was made compulsory in the city in August 2009 and several households and commercial buildings have either got the rainwater harvesting system or are in the process of getting them installed.P B Ramamurthy,chairman of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB),says that rainwater harvesting became mandatory by an amendment to the BWSSB Act in 2009 and the city was given nine months,with a deadline of May 2010,to ensure that all new buildings on a plot of 30 ft x 40 ft or above and existing buildings on a plot of 60 ft x 40 ft or above had set up rainwater harvesting structures.Jyoti Sharma,director of Forum of Resource Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE),who has been actively engaged with the government and residents to promote rainwater harvesting,says: In Delhi,getting permission for rainwater harvesting structures is the biggest problem due to multiplicity of agencies.Even though the process sounds easy enough,getting the system installed in a place right now is no joke,to the extent that in several cases people chose to pay money and get a completion certificate from the civic agency rather than run around.If the government seems tardy on this,only residential buildings and houses adopting rainwater harvesting can make a difference in the water availability for the city. Simple recharge structures cost between Rs 2,000 and Rs 30,000.However,if a lot of drilling is required along with a tube well,then the cost goes up substantially.Where there is a hard rocky terrain,drilling itself can cost about Rs 30,000.If one is living in East Delhi,they would only require a storage pit and not a recharge structure since the groundwater levels there are still high, says Sushmita Sengupta,research associate at Centre for Science and Environment.In Delhi,if one wants to avail of government financial help for rainwater harvesting,they need to get their plans approved either by the CGWA or the DJB.The CGWA also makes plans and clears the boring of tube wells,but on a highly selective basis as DJB has taken over groundwater management in the city.DJB on the other hand can sanction rainwater harvesting plans but cannot permit a tube well unless an advisory committee,headed by the concerned areas DC,doesn't give permission.The Delhi government also has schemes like My Delhi,I Care and parks and garden societies,which make the interface between individuals,communities and the government slightly easier.Steps for financial assistance for rainwater harvesting Collect authentic data on site for rainwater harvesting,type of soil,drainage system and rainwater to be harvested Get a plan drawn on the recharge scheme with technical design.This can be done by the central groundwater board,an architect or by the rainwater harvesting cell of DJB.Plans not prepared by CGWB (Central Ground Water Board) would have to be verified by it Get in touch with an agency for execution of the project.A list of approved agencies is available with CGWB.The agency will prepare an estimate of the work and expenditure The detailed estimate has to be submitted to DJB through the zonal engineer or the rainwater harvesting cells executive engineer for approval of financial assistance Get work executed Apply to the executive engineer of DJBs rainwater harvesting cell along with completion certificate,payment details and maintenance agreement for release of financial assistance QUICK BITES CHENNAI HAS HAD AN ALMOST 100% SUCCESS RATE WITH RAINWATER HARVESTING,AND SO HAS BANGALORE.IN THESE CITIES,NONCOMPLIANCE OF RAINWATER REGULATIONS INVITES A HEAVY PENALTY AND THE GOVERNMENTS INTENT ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT ENSURED THAT THEY HAD A PROPER MONITORING SYSTEM IN PLACE RAINWATER HARVESTING WAS MADE MANDATORY FOR ALL BUILDINGS IN CHENNAI IN 2002,AND INTERESTINGLY,ALMOST EVERYONE COMPLIED EVEN THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY SUBSIDY FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION
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