He was responding to a question on rainwater harvesting from a participant at a day-long seminar on the theme of sanitation, organised by the Bangalore Jalamandala Abhiyantraseera Sangha, and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to mark World Water Day - 2008. “The committee is working on a draft legislation on rainwater harvesting. They are looking at incentives similar to that provided by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for its new layouts in its Master Plan 2015.”
O & M policy
The 12-member committee is headed by Jothiramalingam with representatives from BBMP, BDA,  BWSSB, Town Planning and other government departments.
K Jairaj, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, said an Operation and Maintenance Policy has been readied for the next financial year to manage water assets in the rural areas.
“The policy has been submitted to the government for approval,” said Shambhu Dayal Meena, Commissioner, Karnataka Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
Projects approved
Governor Rameshwar Thakur said 47 projects had been approved under JNNURM for the ‘mission cities’, Bangalore and Mysore.  He also released an updated citizen’s charter prepared by BWSSB to guide consumers.
Dr Suita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, called for initiating a `Toilet Mission’ in the City  to provide proper toilets which were not ecologically disastrous.
Dr Kasturirangan, MP, said India can be bracketed in the category of countries that fell under the water-stress category. Jawaid Akthar, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Industrial Development and Finance Corporation presented a case study on the problems posed due to accounted for water in Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga.
Shiv Das Meena, Managing Director, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, said a desalination plant that could provide 100 MLD was being set up near Minjur by a private company.
The board will buy water in bulk from the plant for 25 years. This was among the measures initiated to cater to the projected water requirement of 2,249 Million Litres Per Day for Chennai in the year 2026, he explained.