DJB informs Delhi HC about mandatory rainwater harvesting

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it has made it mandatory for a property of 500 square metres or more in the capital to install provisions for rainwater harvesting.

A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul was further informed by the DJB that to encourage rainwater conservation, it has adopted a method of awarding subsidy in water bills to consumers who have installed rainwater-harvesting systems.

Advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, appearing for the DJB, said plots having an area of 2,000 square metres or more with functional rainwater harvesting system are granted 10 percent rebate on the water bill.

On non-compliance to the provision, the tariff applicable on the consumer increases by 1.5 times, Pushkarna told the court.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to make rainwater harvesting mandatory for both residential and commercial buildings here.

The court also asked the DJB to submit its report on efforts made by it to promote rainwater harvesting.

The bench was also informed that the National Green Tribunal was already hearing a similar matter in which a report is to be submitted Sep 10.

The report will be submitted by a panel constituted on the tribunal's orders to look into the issue of rainwater harvesting, advocate Sana Ansari, appearing for the Delhi government, told the court.

The high court asked the government to submit the same report and posted the matter for Sep 24.

The DJB said it has provided rainwater harvesting systems in 151 installations and provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs.82 lakh in another 172 cases.

It said two NGOs have been engaged to create public awareness and promote community participation to implement rainwater harvesting.