No nodal body for rainwater harvesting (Times Of Times 15 June 2012)

NEW DELHI: Thrust upon the government as a court order in 2001, rainwater harvesting has been a failure in Delhi. Recently chief minister Sheila Dikshit also accepted that the policy has not managed to achieve the desired results. Essential for a city like Delhi that is largely dependant on neighbouring states for its water supply, rainwater harvesting can be successful if adopted uniformly and on a large scale.
Experts say that while the complicated procedures and the expenditure involved in constructing a harvesting system can prove to be a deterrent, the policy too is highly flawed. As part of the building bylaws, buildings with a floor area of 100 sqm or more need to have rainwater harvesting structures without which no completion certificate can be issued. However, the corporations say that with barely 5-6% people applying for a completion certificate, it is not surprising that the policy has failed.
"When building plans are sanctioned, the owner needs to give us an undertaking that rainwater harvesting will be part of the building. Before issuing a completion certificate, our staff inspects the site and ensures that the harvesting structure has been built. The problem is that barely 5-6% people ask for completion certificates. Even in these few cases, our staff is not technically trained to judge whether a particular harvesting structure is technically feasible or not. This work should be with Delhi Jal Board or the deputy commissioners of the nine districts," said an MCD official.
Vinod Jain, on whose PIL rainwater harvesting was made compulsory in Delhi, adds that a multiplicity of agencies that need to ensure implementation has led to poor co-ordination and massive confusion. "If MCD is in-charge of ensuring that rainwater harvesting has been incorporated in new buildings, how can it after 11 years say that it is not feasible for it to check? Also problematic is how the plans for harvesting need to be cleared by one agency, checked by another agency and monitored by another. Central Ground Water Board, DJB, MCD and DCs are all part of the process. No wonder that each of them pass the blame to the other. People who have genuinely wanted to get rainwater harvesting done have given up the idea after being made to run around endlessly between these agencies," he said.
All government agencies were asked to provide annual reports to the court on implementation of rainwater harvesting. The last report was submitted in 2009. Experts say that a single agency should be made in-charge of implementation and monitoring. "Already rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory for all government buildings, hotels, hospitals, institutions and farm houses. Many of them have implemented but government agencies are lagging behind. A single body to monitor the project would make a huge difference," accepted an official.
Jyoti Sharma of NGO Force says that the present law, applicable to only the buildings constructed after 2001 and government structures, targets a very small percentage of the city.
"Delhi is already built up to about 70%. Unless rainwater harvesting is made mandatory for all buildings, old and new, it will not serve any purpose. The government can tweak the policy to make it compulsory for large buildings. It can also add riders like providing only a certain amount of municipal supply of water and having the rest augmented by harvested rainwater," she said.