The Times of India           11.06.2010

LUCKNOW: Even a house or a shop constructed over an area of 100 sqm would be required to have a rain water harvesting system put in place, if the ground water department had its way. Until now, the provision was prescribed for buildings having an area of 300 sqm or more. This is for the first time that the department is mulling over enforcing the RWH system in one of the smallest plots (except EWS) carved out by development authorities or the UP housing and development board (UPHDB).

The provision finds a mention in the new proposed ground water bill which seeks to address the ever declining ground water table in the state. The bill categorically speaks of an authority getting such rain water harvesting structure constructed and recover the cost incurred along with a penalty as may be prescribed.

In fact, the bill gets stringent asking the authority to approve construction and extending permanent water and electricity connections only following compliance of the directions given in this regard.

Talking to TOI, principal secretary, ground water, Sushil Kumar, on the sidelines of a programme organised on the occasion of Ground Water Day on Thursday, said that they have invited objections from people on the said clause. "If passed, the provision would become applicable to be enforced by concerned authorities,'' he said. "Development authorities have virtually stopped carving out 300 sqm of plots because of the land crunch. So it was essential to decrease the area to such an extent,'' Kumar said.

But interestingly, the clause would be applicable on buildings constructed after the Act comes into force, in what could come as a significant respite for thousands of such buildings already facing notices for not putting in place the RWH.

In Lucknow alone, there are over 500 such buildings facing notices from the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) for not putting in place RWH systems. A departmental order of April, 2008, 258/VC/CTP/08, asked the engineers to ensure that the buildings identified have RWH measures installed in them. In fact, in May, the authority decided to launch a drive against residential and commercial establishments having an area of more than 300 sqm but not having the RWH measures installed in them. It was, therefore, decided that the maps of all such buildings would be cancelled under the UP Urban Planning Act, 1973. Moreover, the enforcement squad would be getting the construction activity stopped in all such buildings.

Mind you, the action was against buildings having an area of 300 sqm and constructed after 2000. Obviously, the number of such notices would escalate several times in case new provision takes into account previously constructed buildings, that too over an area of 100 sqm.

The bill further prescribes an inspection of the RWH system twice a year -- April and October -- by a registered service provider which would charge a certain fee from the ground water user. And if rain water harvesting system/recharging structures are not found working properly, and amount of ground water withdrawal and quality of water are not as per limit/norms, the provider will advise the ground water user to make it functional and ensure other provisions as per sanction order and directions are being complied with. In case ground water user does not act on the advice of registered service provider, he will inform the authority to take further action as per the Act.

RUNNING DRY

Groundwater situation in UP:

Category - Number of development blocks

March 31, 2000 - March 31, 2004 -- March 31, 2008

Overexploited - 22 - 37 - 76

Critical - NA - 13 - 25

Semi-critical - 53 - 88 - 117