Deccan Chronicle 23.02.2010

People get panicky as rain harvesting deadline nears

Feb. 22: Phones at the rainwater harvesting (RWH) help desk have been ringing non-stop since the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board began issuing notices to people, reminding them about the May 27 deadline to make provision for RWH in their homes and warning that they could lose their water connections, if they fail to do so.

While 55,631 houses built on sites measuring 40X 60ft and more are expected to install RWH structures, so far only 8186 of them have gone in for it. The BWSSB began issuing notices to the others a fortnight ago telling them the nine month deadline since the government made rainwater harvestiing mandatory on August 27, is nearly up. So far of the 9099 households in the west of the city,which are supposed to install RWH, only 2048 houses have made arrangements for it, while in the north of the city of the 12,753 households required to go in for it, only 2100 have done so. The figures are equally dismal in other parts of the city, including the south where of the 14,100 households only 2469 have gone in for RWH and the east, where out of 7122 households, only 618 houses have adopted RWH.

Lack of awareness seems to be the major hurdle as the notices issued by the BWSSB appear to have come as a surprise to most. Many have told the water board they were not aware that they were required to make provision for RWH under the law.

“Despite several awareness programmes, most of those who call us express surprise at RWH having been made mandatory in the city and seek information on the cost and materials required, besides help with the plumbers,” says Navaneeth Kumar. R, project associate, RWH help desk.

The BWSSB is trying to respond to the calls for help by training 3000 plumbers and holding awareness camps in the city. It has already held such camps in 12 constituencies and plans to hold 24 popular lectures, 24 quizzes and debates on water issues, besides exhibitions on RWH at 65 BWSSB offices, according to its spokesperson.

BWSSB chairperson, P.B. Ramamurthy has written to 1,100 schools and 1,000 colleges to form rainwater clubs. Homes and buildings adopting RWH must register giving their RR numbers (water connection number), at their nearest BWSSB service stations, say officers.