JOIN USOn RWH, govt fails to walk the talk
Though the officials have issued a warning in this regard to the general public, ironically, in the home of the lawmakers — the Legislators’ Home in Bangalore — there is no such sense of urgency or fear.
The Legislators’ Home, with its 381 rooms, consumes 73 million litres of water a year. Yet, no concrete work has commenced on fitting any of the buildings in this complex with rainwater harvesting systems.
For over two years now, the rainwater harvesting (RWH) project proposal has been limping from desk to desk at the Public Works Department’s Divisional Office at SJP Complex.
The proposal was prepared by the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and submitted in January 2009. “We got a project proposal from the IISc sometime ago. I am not sure of the exact date. I forwarded it to the PWD Divisional Office along with the project estimate. I had the additional charge of the Legislators’ Home for two years. The proposal must have gone from the Divisional Office to the Circle Office and then to Chief Engineer (PWD). I am not sure. Actually, I have been transferred. I think others are following it up,” said Assistant Engineer Ramesh, to whom KSCST had submitted the proposal.
The estimated cost of the project was Rs 13.5 lakh (Rs 5,58,000 for LH Building 2; Rs 5,64,000 for LH Building 3; and Rs 1,92,000 for LH Old Block). The project proposal was submitted to the Chief Engineer, Communications and Buildings (South), K R Circle, in January 2009.
Jayaram, Assistant Executive Engineer, however, says he sent the proposal to the Divisional Office just a couple of days ago. Why did he have to re-send the proposal? “Money was not released in the first phase,” he says.
To a question on how much grant the PWD had sought this time, he replied: “That hasn’t been finalised. We are working on it...”
What about the December 31 deadline set by the BWSSB? Will the LH be able to meet it? “Don’t worry, it will be met,” he replied, refusing to be drawn into the details of when RWH work would commence.
Such a response is surprising, especially when the BBMP and the BWSSB, have made RWH their priority. BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah said, “Only RWH can put an end to Bangalore’s water woes — be it tree-fall and flooding during the monsoon, or water shortage in summer. Whichever department it may be, work should happen in a mission-mode format. Anything less implies a lack of vision and concern, certainly not of money.”
A source in the KSCST said, “The LH roof area is spread over 5,782 sqmt. Four large sumps have to be constructed. It’s not as if the work cannot be completed in less than four months. It can be done, provided they wake up at least now.”
While BWSSB Chairman P B Ramamurthy was unavailable for comment, an official in the Water Supply Board, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “We can only request the Public Works Department. However, we will cut the water connections after January. No relaxation will be given for government buildings.”
Kemparamaiah, Chief Engineer, BWSSB, said: “I know nothing of the RWH project at the Legislators’ Home. That is not under our department’s purview. That’s the work of the PWD.”
But Siddaiah added, “Detailed discussions have been held with all departments. There should be no passing the buck between the Public Works Department, the BWSSB and the BBMP.”
Info drops
* The KSCST team had estimated the daily consumption of water at the Legislators’ Home to be 2 lakh litres.
* The annual water requirement at the LH is 73 million litres.
* Through RWH, 5.9 million litres can be harvested in a year.
* RWH experts say fitting the main buildings with rainwater harvesting systems could provide ample water supply for 30 days in a year.