Monday, September 6, 2010

Government goes slow on rainwater harvesting | | | Indian Express

Government goes slow on rainwater harvesting | | | Indian Express

Government goes slow on rainwater harvesting

N R Madhusudhan First Published : 02 Feb 2010 05:22:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 02 Feb 2010 07:47:28 AM IST
BANGALORE: The seriousness of government officials in implementing environment friendly schemes can be gauged from the interest they have shown in installing Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) systems in the buildings housing their offices.
Chief Secretary S V Ranganath and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairman P B Ramamurthy sent a letter to 110 department heads in the city asking them to install RWH systems within three months.
So far, only nine departments have approached the BWSSB for technical assistance to install the RWH systems.
They are: City Central Libraries, Directorate of Youth and Sports, Directorate of Sericulture, Department of Forest development, Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies dept., Commissioner of Social Welfare Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Department of Collegiate Education and the Department of Technical Education.
The letter dated October 15, 2009 had asked all principal secretaries, and department heads to call a meeting of officials from their department and direct them to install the RWH systems in their office buildings.
It had also stated that the state government is serious about implementing this program and has asked the department heads to approach the BWSSB for technical assistance at the earliest.
According to an amendment made by the state government to the BWSSB Act, all structures that are constructed in an area of 2,400 sq. ft and more should have RWH systems by May 27, 2010.
A BWSSB official said, “As per the instructions given to us by the government and the amendment made to the Act we will have to disconnect the water connections to those buildings that have come up in an area of 2,400 sq. ft and more if they do not have RWH systems in them.
“We will not discriminate between government and private buildings when it comes to implementing these rules.”
madhusudhan@expressbuzz.com

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