BENGALURU: Rainwater harvesting soon to be mandated even for buildings standing on 30x40ft sites due to depleting groundwater table in Bengaluru.
Currently, the practice is a must for structures on plots measuring 60x40ft and more and new buildings coming up on sites measuring 30x40ft and more.
The government has directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to implement RWH for 30x40ft sites with immediate effect. The directions came from chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar during an inter-departmental coordination committee meeting held on Monday.
Acting on Bhaskar’s directive, BWSSB chairman Tushar Girinath has written to his counterpart, BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad, to seek the civic council’s nod for the proposal and also to make appropriate amendments in building bylaws. The Palike has decided to implement the proposal with immediate effect. Appropriate procedures will be followed and approval will soon be taken from the council.
According to BWSSB’s earlier circular, RWH was mandatory for sites measuring more than 2,325 sqft. While the board has now proposed to make it compulsory for sites measuring over 1,162.5 sqft, it has sought BBMP’s intervention to bring about the amendments.
A BWSSB official said the board adopted RWH for buildings in Bengaluru after the law was amended in 2011. According to Section 72A of the BWSSB Act, every owner/occupant of a building having sital area of not less than 2,325 sqft or anyone who proposes to construct a building on sital area of not less than 1,162.5 sqft shall provide an RWH structure for storage/use/groundwater recharge within such date as may be notified by the government.
BWSSB has also proposed to make dual piping systems mandatory for buildings coming up on plots measuring 60ftx40ft or more. According to the proposal every owner who proposes to construct a building on sital area of not less than 2,325 sqft shall provide dual piping system and RWH structure for storage based on roof area and ground water recharge based on paved and unpaved areas.
Girinath said changes in the law require approval of the legislature, and as the procedure is likely to be delayed, the chief secretary had directed BBMP to make amendments in the bylaws. Once BBMP does so, it’ll become mandatory for building owners to comply with the bylaws at the time of sanction.
Currently, RWH storage structure should have capacity of 20 litres or more per sq m (11 sqft) of roof area and 10 litres or more per sq m of land surface. For the new proposal the storage should have capacity of 60 litres or more per sq m of roof area and 30 litres or more per sq m of land surface.
Source: Economic Times