HC to wait for panel report on rain water harvesting

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) today informed the Delhi High Court about the efforts made by it to encourage rainwater harvesting (RWH) in the national capital, including making it mandatory for property of 500 sq metres or more and increasing tariff in case of non-compliance.
DJB submitted the "incentives and disincentives" given by it to promote rainwater conservation in Delhi before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul which is hearing a plea seeking that RWH be made mandatory for buildings here.
The court, however, renotified the matter to September 24 after it was told by Delhi government that the National Green Tribunal is hearing a similar matter in which a report is to be submitted on September 10.

The report has to be submitted by a panel constituted on the tribunal's orders to look into the issue of RWH, advocate Sana Ansari, appearing for Delhi government, told the court.
While the bench said it will also wait for the panel's report, it observed that the committee comprises of members of the civic and municipal bodies who have not done anything till date and asked what will they do now.
"Their (civic and municipal bodies) people were already there. What have they done till now?" the bench said.

The court asked DJB, represented by advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, to file its note on efforts made by it to promote RWH along with an affidavit, before the next date of hearing.

The note was submitted pursuant to the court's direction to inform it whether there is a policy for implementing RWH in Delhi.
As per the DJB note, provisions have been made in the Delhi Water and Sewer Tariff and Metering Regulations of 2012 for promoting RWH by giving rebate in tariff to those who implement RWH and waste water recycling systems/measures.
On the other hand, those who are required to implement it and do not do so, the tariff applicable on them is increased by 1.5 times, the civic agency has said in its note.