External auditor to check irregularities RWH units

With summer just four months away, BWSSB has called for an external audit to probe the irregularities in installing Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) units.

While its objective is to ensure the effective functioning of the RWH installations, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is preparing to subject several city establishments to the independent audit, suspecting that there would be more offenders than the 64,000 it has already penalised.

BWSSB officials said meter readers only check if a building or commercial unit has installed RWH and report those who have not done so. But the readers do not check the effectiveness of the installations.

"Rules stipulate that borewells or (percolation) pits could be set up to let rainwater recharge the ground," said BWSSB chief engineer (maintenance), B C Gangadhar. "But rainwater is allowed into the stormwater drains in some buildings. The external audit process would unearth this."

Confusion prevails over measuring the total area of buildings that obtained exemption from the compulsory installation of RWH units, officials admitted.

Auditor has 6 months

A tender has been floated to select the private auditor, who would start the process in December and would complete it in six months. The private auditor would single out the irregularities in the measurements in its report, on the basis of which BWSSB would take
action.

Meanwhile, BWSSB has decided to make a storage area compulsory for new buildings to store water harvested from the rains, irrespective of the plot size. The board has approved the proposal to this effect and has forwarded it to the government to make amendments to the existing rules. The board expects the government's nod soon, subject to which it would include the storage area as a criteria in the audit.