PUDA, GMADA told to make rainwater harvesting must

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, July 28

Concerned over the groundwater depletion in the state, Vini Mahajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, has stressed on the need to make rainwater harvesting of rooftop water mandatory for all the public buildings.

She directed PUDA and GMADA chief engineers to ensure that rainwater harvesting technology was adopted in all buildings of the Housing and Urban Development Department to become a model for the state. “We should study the extent of use of this technology in the state and initiate efforts to recharge groundwater,” she stressed. She was delivering an inaugural address at a two-day training programme on building construction organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),Ropar, at PUDA Bhawan in Mohali on Friday.

Mahajan said, “With the coming up of variety in new building materials and technologies, the usage of new materials and methods of construction are economical and time saving. Thus, the orientation of engineers working in PUDA and other development authorities is necessary to develop quality infrastructure in the state.”

IIT-Ropar has deputed Dr Naveen James and Dr Putul Haldar to conduct this training programme. Over 90 engineers working in PUDA, GMADA, GLADA, PDA, JDA, ADA, BDA and PSIEC have joined the programme. The curriculum include investigation and soil exploration; excavations and shallow foundation; guidelines for selection of building material; design consideration for pile foundations; reinforcement requirements and detailing considerations for structural members. This is being imparted through presentations, lectures and question-answer sessions being conducted by the faculty from IIT-Ropar.

Earlier, a training programme on ‘design and construction of flexible and rigid roads’ was organised by Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi, at PUDA Bhawan in Mohali.

GMADA Chief Administrator Ravi Bhagat was also present on the occasion.