Rainwater harvesting to be compulsory

Rainwater harvesting to be compulsory

The Hindu

Law to regulate use of groundwater soon

BANGALORE: Minister for Water Resources and Transport Mallikarjuna Kharge said here on Wednesday that a law to regulate extraction of groundwater in the State is on the anvil to conserve precious groundwater.

Mr. Kharge told presspersons on the sidelines of an all India seminar on the "Role of groundwater in national economy" that the Law Department is vetting the draft legislation and it will be brought before the legislature soon for ratification. The seminar was organised by the All India Central Ground Water Board Officers' Association.

The Minister said while rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory for all new buildings within Bangalore city limits, the same rules will be extended to all other urban local bodies. Stressing on the need for a master plan for artificial recharge of groundwater, Mr. Kharge said 22 taluks in the State have come under "overexploited" category.

In his keynote address, Saleem Romani, Chairman of the board, said rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge were effective in supply-side management of groundwater whereas the demand-side management strategy of control and regulation of groundwater resources was not easily accepted by people. He said an estimated 36.4 billion centimetre (BCM) of surplus surface run-off can be recharged to augment groundwater.

Water Resources Department Secretary E. Venkataiah, association president Abhijit Ray and Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, E.J. James were present. Papers on groundwater utilisation, management, economic aspects and policy options were presented during the seminar. Over 250 delegates from the board, Indian Space Research Organisation , National Institute of Hydrology, National Geophysical Research Institute and various universities took part.