WITH strict order from the Centre to municipal authorities across the country to implement rainwater harvesting and waste management systems, authorities are looking for ways to engage societies to adopt these systems by imposing strict penalty, rewarding those who adopted it, and engaging children.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner has recently cleared a proposal to allow 15 per cent rebate on property tax to all housing societies, which are segregating and processing wet waste in premises, disposing dry waste through re-cyclers, and engaging in rainwater harvesting, and using recycled water. According to the scheme, societies that follow one criterion will get 5 per cent rebate and those meeting all three criteria will get 15 per cent rebate. The proposal will soon be tabled before the BMC standing committee for approval.
According to the BMC, this move will not only keep the society clean, and promote cleanliness, but also reduce the burden on the dumping grounds and in turn reduce the cost of collecting and transporting waste by civic authorities. This initiative will promote more societies to adopt environmental friendly ways in day-to-day life.
There are many cities which have strict laws but problems lie in their implementation. Recently, the Delhi Jal Board has suggested that municipal bodies and the Delhi Development Authority should strictly enforce the modified building by-laws. According to the law, the rainwater harvesting (RWH) system is mandatory for a plot size of 100 square yards or more in order to get a building plan sanctioned and obtain a completion certificate. But it was not implemented till date.
However, a few cities had different stories to tell. In 2015, authorities in Bhubaneswar made it mandatory for buildings built on a minimum of 300 square metre area to have rainwater harvesting facilities. Further, Bangalore Development Authority refused to issue occupancy certificate in case an apartment developer or an individual house-owner does not adhere to the norm. With strict enforcement,the city has now more than 200 structures with rainwater harvesting systems in place.
Bangalore has been witnessing acute water crisis in recent times, so many housing societies are now coming up together to build rainwater harvesting system in their societies.
Currently, only 1.26 lakh buildings in the city have rainwater harvesting systems. Taking it forward, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has proposed to amend building bylaws and accord approval to building plans only if it includes rainwater harvesting system.
The administrative body responsible for civic amenities has also levied penalties on over 68,000 building owners who have failed to install the harvesting systems.