GHMC To Take Up Rainwater Harvesting

Expressing concern over the dipping levels of ground-water, GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain, on Wednesday, stressed the need for prioritizing the task of setting up rainwater harvesting pits.

Addressing a press conference, along with GHMC Commissioner M T Krishna Babu, at the GHMC Headquarters in Tank Bund, Majid Hussain said that the GHMC has fixed, as a target, the setting up of 10,000 rainwater harvesting pits for the year 2013-14. To this end, an amount of Rs. 6 crores will be allocated as funds.

In the year 2012-13, about 2571 rainwater harvesting pits were taken up in open spaces, and Rs. 3.21 crores were spent for the purpose.

The GHMC Commissioner appealed to the citizens, residential welfare associations, non-governmental organisations, and engineering colleges to take up rainwater harvesting pits in their colonies to improve groundwater levels.

As per the recommendations of the standing committee, the GHMC will bear 50% of the estimated cost of the pits with regards to the participation of residential welfare associations and the NGOs.

Krishna Babu said that the DO letters have already been sent to the principals of various engineering colleges, requesting them to urge their students to take up the cause of rainwater harvesting, and to generate awareness about the issue by conducting door-to-door surveys.

It was decided that GHMC will spend 70% of the estimated cost with regards to the participation of students of engineering colleges.

The Commissioner said that the West Zone Central University, with the help of its NSS wing, has come up with rainwater harvesting structures in 32 colonies. The structures are apparently well-built, and are equipped with alarm bells (should anything go wrong).

Krishna Babu said that deputy municipal commissioners and executive engineers of the circles concerned have been appointed as nodal officers to sanction amounts of up to Rs. 50,000 for rainwater harvesting pits.

The Commissioner also said that the citizens are requested to come forward to avail themselves of this opportunity, by duly contacting the deputy municipal commissioners and executive engineers concerned.

As per the directions of the GHMC Mayor, the requests made by the citizens (online) will be taken up, and sanctions will be accorded within 15 days from the date of receipt of the request. (INN)