Install rain water harvesting system in every govt project:NGT

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Centre and all public authorities to ensure that rain water harvesting systems are installed in every project including flyovers, bridges or any other construction activity carried out by the government.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the Centre, Delhi government and all public authorities concerned to ensure that no project is approved without a specific stipulation in the tender documents that they would have to construct adequate capacity rain water harvesting systems as part of their project.
"Each department of the government as well as corporation would notify an officer who shall be responsible for ensuring that the already installed rain water harvesting systems and/or that are installed in future, work efficiently and are maintained properly. Such name of officer and his phone number shall be put on the website of the respective departments.

"He shall be officer who will receive all complaint and ensure implementation as above directed. The quarterly report shall be submitted to a committee which will be constituted by the Chief Secretary of NCT of Delhi and MoEF," the bench said.
The tribunal also said that this committee would perform all supervisory functions while ensuring due implementation of the directions and efficient working of the rain water harvesting systems, particularly in Delhi.
"The committee would personally certify wherever the ground water level is so high that rain water harvesting system would be futile to be constructed.

"With this exception, it shall be adopted as a rule. The report in relation to the construction of rain water harvesting systems on the flyovers would be submitted within one month from today," the tribunal said.

During the hearing, various public bodies, including the Environment Ministry, Delhi governemnt and others assured the green panel that they would take all effective steps to ensure that rain water harvesting systems are installed in every government building and the same are properly maintained.
The directions came while hearing a petition filed by Mehrauli resident Vinod Kumar Jain seeking directions to make it compulsory for all government building of 100 sq m and above to have rainwater harvesting through storage of rain water.