New Delhi: Many resident’s welfare associations called for a review of policies that make it mandatory for properties above 100sqm to install a rainy harvest system (RWH).
In many cases, they argue, creating a harvest hole in the house area that has been technically built is not feasible and can cause the weakening of the foundation due to seepage.
Rwas suggests that the general area, park and back lane can be used to develop public rainwater harvesting units.
The deadline for the compulsory RWH installation is September 30, 2021.
Spreading more than 8,000 hectares, Delhi has more than 16,000 parks and open spaces where rainwater harvest can be implemented with the potential for 12,800 million liters of rainwater every year, a CSE report.
The mandatory limit for each house is reduced from 500sqm to 100 square meters by the Board of Jal Delhi in 2019.
Atul Goel, the head of the action with the population of United Delhi, said that he had been contacted by Rwas with fear of new boundaries.
“How technically it is feasible to make RWH holes in a build structure? It is not practical and will lead to many problems.
Policy must be reviewed.
We must move towards the community rainwater harvesting system,” he added.
BM Bakshi, Head of New Friend Colony Rwa, added his view.
“Where is the room in a small plot for the RWH system? The 100sqm limit is too low and will cause moisture at the base of the structure.
The government must develop a common rainwater harvest hole with the help of RWA where pipelines from the roof of the house can be connected,” he advised.
Bakshi further said that this would also cause a dispute between the owner flat.
“Flat ownership on different floors in a building may be different and who will be responsible for such cases?” PK Paul, Secretary of the EBDP Association, which is an umbrella body for the population of Cr Park, said that they had stated their objections to the new rules to the DJB.
“If we make a hole in the building, the repatriation will cause seepage and weaken the building foundation.
Also, our colony buildings are on stone and are technically not feasible to do it,” Paul said.
He added that they had established eight RWH systems in their own park.
Chetan Sharma, Secretary General of the Confederation of NCR Rwas, said that the retreat’s integration approach was not legally healthy.
“The 100SQM limit includes almost all Delhi properties planned.
If the government can allow cellular towers in the park, why not use it to develop rainwater harvesting structures.
Instead of forcing policies on plots of 100sqm, the big properties of the government and the city must be borne for the first time , “he added.
Delhi who lacks water accepts an average annual rainfall of 617-670mm which can be used to refill thinning groundwater resources.
However, most go to waste every rainy season.
The deadline for the Mandatory RWH installation has seen several extensions in the past.