The New Indian Express 26.04.2013
Corporation to push for water harvesting ahead of rains
Corporation is all set to begin an awareness campaign on the importance of rainwater harvesting systems in the city and monitor their implementation in every building.
The decision was arrived at during the Town Planning Committee meet, held at the Vellore Corporation office on Thursday. President of the Town Planning Committee and Councillor of ward 42, G Anbu, in his address, recalled that Vellore had better groundwater levels ten years ago, during the previous regime of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa between 2001 and 2006. The Chief Minister had then insisted on the implementation of the rainwater harvesting system in every building. Following this, Mayor P Karthiyayini also insisted that officials of Town Planning Section should strictly monitor the implementation of the system in every building. Commissioner P Janaki Raveendran had asked the officials to submit a report after conducting a check on the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems in all government offices in the city, within two weeks. Mayor P Karthiyayini said, “As rain is expected in the coming days, the Corporation has planned to begin the awareness campaign on rainwater harvesting systems in the city within a week. Officials will make a door-to-door visit to houses in every ward and appreciate owners of buildings in which the rainwater harvesting system had been followed.
The door-to-door campaign will begin in ward 9 and 12 in the zone 1- Tharapadavedu.” Distribution of pamphlets will also be carried out during the campaign, she said.
The members of the committee also complained about the rising number of plots and buildings being constructed without an approval from the local body.
