The Hindu 01.03.2013
“Rainwater harvesting structure a must”
Mayor warns of drinking water disconnection if the residents fail to pay heed.
In an attempt to improve the groundwater table in areas under its jurisdiction, the Corporation has decided to disconnect the drinking water connection to those houses that have not incorporated the rainwater harvesting structure on their premises.
"Whenever we receive applications from home owners for building plan approval and also for fixing house tax, our officials will inspect the spot and ensure that there is a provision for installing a rainwater harvesting system in the new structure.
If there is no rainwater harvesting system, no approval will be given nor the tax payable to the Corporation fixed.
For the existing houses, the owners should create the rainwater harvesting structure or else drinking water connection to these houses will be cut," Mayor Vijila Sathyananth announced in the council meeting held here on Thursday.
No deadline set
Though no deadline was set , the Mayor directed officials to issue notice to all houses which had not created the rainwater harvesting system before unplugging the drinking water connection.
Since the district has suffered deficit rainfall for the fourth successive year, the groundwater level in several areas under the Corporation limits has gone down alarmingly.
Another important issue taken up in today’s council meeting was the delay in giving building plan approvals.
Green channel
Condemning the "inordinate delay" even through the ‘Green Channel’, which was introduced with the objective of clearing the applications within 24 hours, Deputy Mayor P. Jaganathan alias Ganesan of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said the officials should sanction building plan approvals at least within a week if the applications were received under the ‘Green Channel’.
Deputy Mayor Ganesan wanted to know the deadline for giving building plan approvals.
Executive Engineer (Planning), Soundararajan assured him that the applications received under ‘Green Channel’ from Monday (March 4) onwards would be cleared within a week.
