FLIP SIDE - Water harvesting

Yogesh Mishra

Just a month back, the government and all the civic bodies were
appealing to the people to save water and to install water harvesting
system. In the capital, the RMC had given ultimatum to all the
residents, builders and government edifices to install water
harvesting system before June 30, 2010. The municipal also launched an
awareness campaign to inform the benefits of this acute water
conservation technique to the people. But unfortunately, only few
people showed interest. Why? Because, water consumption and wastage is
more in the large edifices, both government and private and people
think the water harvesting system should be first installed in these
buildings. Another reason is the high cost of installation. There are
only few experts in water harvesting system and they demand inordinate
fee and installation charges. The maintenance charge of water
harvesting system is also expensive. So, first the civic bodies
including the RMC should deal with the cost factor of the technique
and must take help of the government. If the installation process will
be economical and its maintenance would not dent people’s pocket then
everyone will readily agree on municipal’s terms and conditions.
Interesting suggestions have surfaced from slum and low-lying areas
that face water crisis during summer and flood-like situation during
rainy season. The residents of these places say that the installation
of water harvesting system in their localities would not only rid them
from the problem of water scarcity in summer and affluence in the
rainy season, but would also increase the groundwater table of the
surrounding areas. However, they say the installation cost should be
incurred by the government as they do not have enough money even for
their subsistence. The RMC must be thinking if it would keep on doing
charity works then how its exchequer would bulge.