Majority of rainwater harvesting systems ‘defunct’ in Faridabad

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, June 11

The majority of over 200 rainwater harvesting systems in the city have become defunct due to lack of maintenance and upkeep. This poses risk of waterlogging and loss in terms of recharging the underground water table.

Though the civic body is due to start the cleaning drive prior to the rainy season, the poor infrastructure has perhaps been one of the major reasons behind the problem of waterlogging. Heavy dependency on tubewells for drinking water supply and the poor recharge of the underground water sources has led to the depletion of the water table, claim sources in the civic administration.

Though a large number of harvesting systems had been installed under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) many years ago, the majority of these remain non-operational due to poor upkeep, it is reported. Lack of proper enforcement of building bylaws has also adversely impacted the regulations mandating the provision of rainwater harvesting in the residential and commercial buildings.

“While several lakhs of rupees had been spent on the development of harvesting points in the public parks, school buildings and premises of the government buildings in 2008-09 under the Central Government-sponsored programme, the purpose remains largely defeated in view of the issues related to the upkeep,” says Rattan Lal a a retired official. Around 70 to 80 per cent of the systems had been non-functional due to blockages, damage or faulty placement, say the sources.

“The faulty design of the many systems had left these almost useless,” said AK Gaur, who had been involved in one of such surveys carried out on behalf of the civic body. He said as many of the harvesting points lacked regular cleaning or repairs, choking of the inlet point with solid waste, improper alignment and open pits had been common. He said severe waterlogging even after a normal rainfall had been a concern. The measures regarding the upkeep had been inadequate.

As the city has been in the over-exploited zone as per the report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the water level has depleted between 300ft and 500 ft in the past two decades, it is learnt.

The Haryana Building Code (byelaws) 2017 envisages installation of roof rainwater harvesting in any building having a rooftop area of 100 square metres or more, this has been mandatory for the buildings having a plot area of 500 square metres or above.

Ombir Singh, Superintending Engineer, MCF, said directions had been issued to all division heads to ensure the cleaning and maintenance before the start of the rainy season. He said the upkeep of such an infrastructure was a regular exercise.