NGT seeks report on rain water harvesting

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government and other agencies to prepare a comprehensive report on whether government buildings, bridges and flyovers have installed rain water harvesting systems and if they are functional.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the counsel appearing for Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority and the court commissioner appointed in the case to convene a meeting and prepare a detailed report in this regard. “We direct the counsel appearing for NCT, Delhi, DDA, applicant and the court commissioner to sit down together on August 19, 2016. “They will prepare a comprehensive report in relation to the flyovers and government buildings, whether such buildings and flyovers are having rain water harvesting system or not and if they are functional,” the bench, also comprising Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, said. The matter was listed for hearing on September 26. The tribunal had earlier directed the Centre and other public authorities to ensure that rain water harvesting systems are installed in every project, including flyovers, bridges or any other construction activity carried out by the government.

It had asked the Centre, Delhi government and all public authorities concerned to ensure that no project is approved without a specific stipulation in the tender documents that they would have to construct adequate capacity rain water harvesting systems as part of their project.

The directions came during the hearing of a petition filed by Mehrauli resident Vinod Kumar Jain who wanted orders to make it compulsory for all government building of 100 sqm and above to have rainwater harvesting through storage of rain water.