JOIN USThe Delhi Jal Board will send a notice to all authorities to do a survey of all the properties under them where there are no rainwater harvesting structures.
The move comes in a bid to identify government buildings where rainwater harvesting is possible.
The government had recently extended the deadline to install rainwater harvesting structures till September 30.
According to the regulation, all existing buildings which are constructed on a plot of 500 sq metre or more or new buildings that come up in planned areas on plots of 100 sq metre or more are required to have rooftop rainwater harvesting structures (RWH).
There are a number of government buildings which do not have RWH provisions till date such as government schools, colleges, metro stations, and government buildings.
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will issue a notice to government authorities like Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), etc to identify such buildings and send a list to the water utility for purpose of installing the structure before September.
“Our first target is Delhi Metro. All its overhead lines can be used for rainwater harvesting. We are in communication with them,” an official of the DJB said. Some areas with high water table, vetted by the Central Groundwater Authority, will be exempted, he added.
Due to poor response from Delhiites, the city government had recently extended the deadline for the third time for compulsory installation of these structures till September.
A 10% rebate on water tariff is offered to building owners having properties with an area of 2,000 sq metre and above.
The DJB has also set up rain centres at three locations in the city where building owners can come and ask queries related to the installation of structures.The DJB had recently changed its model and took up the Chennai model, under which the structure doesn’t requires boring all the way down to the aquifer and has a basic filtration material and a recharge pit.
“People can come to the rain centres and learn about this new model. The locations are R K Puram, Dwarka, and Okhla Industrial area,” he said.