Dwarka: Conservation of water and rain water harvesting has become a need of the hour. It is more so important when the water table are depleting at fast pace. It is not that that authorities are not cognizant of the the issue. They have in fact devised strategies to put a system in place at all the residential societies. But at the same time, it is quite worrying that whatever planned on paper has not translated on the ground quite effectively.
The issue has been in reckoning among the people in Dwarka sub-city as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has now asked the Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) to submit the certificate for maintained and functional rain water harvesting system inside the premises. Ever since that happened, different Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) management of societies and social organisations in Dwarka are discussing the matter on various social media platforms.
The most prominent concern among people is that while CGHS are being monitored by the authorities, there are around 50 DDA pockets across the Dwarka which are left unnoticed. It is not that rain water harvesting are in place in these DDA pockets. As per the DDA, all the pockets have rain water harvesting system and it is the duty of the respective RWAs to maintain them. Quite contrarily, neither the RWAs or the civic bodies are aware about RWH system. The other reason for ignorance of DDA pockets is that the jurisdiction of these RWH system is now under municipal corporation (earlier DDA). However, the DJB is also responsible to monitor.
Environment activists have also said that the implementation of RWH system has failed miserably in DDA pockets in Dwarka. They are saying that the situation is so because of the indifference of civic bodies. An environment enthusiast and a resident of Sector 16B Ramesh Mumukshu was worried with the current state of the RWH system in DDA pockets. He said, “The RWH systems are either defunct or not maintained properly in DDA pockets. People responsible behind it should be penalised. There is also confusion about the jurisdiction of this RWH system. Most of the time, DJB and municipal corporation pass the buck.”
The DDA rules say that it is mandatory for any building having a catchment area of 100 square metre or more to implement the RWH system. They claim that all the building structures in Dwarka, be it commercial or residential to have RWH pits but the ground reality is very different. The officials of different authorities like DDA, DJB and MCD are also reluctant to talk on the matter. However, one of the the officials from municipal corporation said on the condition of anonymity that the department has no clue about the subject.
It is also surprising that most of the RWAs are also unaware about the scheme. Most of them have no clue on the whereabouts of the RWH scheme. The situation is so when the DDA has said that responsibility of maintaining the RWH system lies with the MCD and the RWAs.
CitySpidey touched base with the Convenor of Natural Heritage First, an organisation working on environment, Diwan Singh who is also a resident of Dwarka and working on conservation of water in Dwarka. He said, “As far as DDA pockets are concerned, the onus to maintain the RWH system lies with the concerned agency, which is the MCD. They should ensure the effective implementation of scheme or else should pay penalty. RWAs cannot be held responsible as they do not have statutory powers.”
