Bhubaneswar, June 29: The state government's lofty target of installing rainwater harvesting facilities in all new residential and existing government buildings has fallen flat.
Last year, the state government had decided to install rainwater harvesting system in 550 government buildings across the state, of which Bhubaneswar's share was almost 50. However, a year later the government's score stands at 1 out of 550.
The only building that has come up with rainwater harvesting system is the office of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) at Chandrasekharpur. The chief minister had inaugurated the building in April. Apart from the rainwater harvesting system, the building also boasts of rooftop solar energy.
A senior official of the water resource department, the agency implementing the scheme, said that the modalities to install the rainwater harvesting system in the existing government buildings were in process and would be over in a month or two. Only then would process to installation rainwater harvesting facilities begin, he said.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been asked to popularise the scheme among domestic users. But top government sources claimed that the civic body had failed to take up the initiative. According to the norms, building owners having a roof area of 200 square meters or more will be eligible to apply for a rainwater harvesting system.
Accordingly, the government had decided to provide a subsidy of up to Rs 45,000 to building installing rainwater harvesting system. The cost of installation includes construction of rainwater collection, filter, recharge and storage units. A consultant will evaluate the total cost and extend the subsidy to the users.
"We have distributed leaflets and have also undertaken several awareness activities to popularise the scheme. It is gaining popularity very slowly. We hope all the households will have the system in place in the near future," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
In 2015, the government had earmarked Rs 100 crore for implementation of the rainwater harvesting scheme, hoping to achieve its target by 2019. The government had then provided Rs 1 crore to start the initiative from Bhubaneswar and Berhampur. The aim was to recharge the fast depleting groundwater tables in these two urban hubs.
According to a report of Ground Water Survey & Investigation, Bhubaneswar's groundwater source is fast depleting. A recent report of the agency revealed that groundwater in Saheed Nagar could be tapped at a depth of four metres in 2006, but it decreased to five metres in 2015. Other areas of the city, such as Raj Bhavan, Khandagiri and Raghunathpur are also witnessing similar depletion.
The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) is in the process of framing by-laws under the new model building code of the Centre that mandates the installation of rainwater harvesting system in all upcoming buildings.
A BDA official said that the new model building code of the Centre stressed on introduction of measures that includes solar rooftops and rainwater harvesting systems. "We are in the process of framing the bylaws and will notify it within six months. As per the new bylaws, it will be mandatory for all the new buildings to have rainwater harvesting system. Otherwise, their building plans will not be approved," said the official.
Environmentalist Sailabala Padhi said that the groundwater level in the state was fast depleting due to the rapid urbanisation.
"We need to act fast to avoid the upcoming crisis that will only be aggravated by our idleness. Rainwater harvesting system is one of the effective way not only to save water, but also to save money. People should made aware of it," said Padhi.
