State may make rainwater harvesting mandatory

Speaking after piloting the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage (Amendment) Bill 2011, Suresh Kumar said the government will make suitable amendments to various
legislations to implement the move.

The present amendment makes it mandatory for every owner or occupier of a building having site area of not less than 2,400 sq ft or every owner who proposes to construct a building on a site area of not less than 1,200 sq ft in BWSSB jurisdiction to make provision for rainwater harvesting structures. The bill was passed by a voice vote.

The Council also adopted two other bills - the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2011 and the Karnataka Conferment of Ownership on Mulageni or Volamalgeni Tenants Bill 2011 - which have already been passed by the Assembly.
Suresh Kumar said the amendments to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations  Act-1976 would provide for formation of area sabhas and ward committees thereby institutionalising citizen participation.

One of the mandatory reforms to be undertaken by the state government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is to enact a law providing for community participation in the municipal corporations having a population exceeding three lakh.

“It requires the establishment of a three tier structure of governance at the level of municipal council, ward committee and area sabha,” Suresh Kumar said.