50 rainwater harvesting systems for city buildings

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 22

In a major decision to prevent water wastage and replenish groundwater, the administration is set to install 50 rooftop rainwater harvesting systems (RHS) atop government buildings in the city soon.

The work on the installation of the systems will soon begin as the Soil and Water Conservation Department has already prepared the proposal after identifying locations and the project will cost around Rs 2.8 crore.

Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said the groundwater table had been depleting constantly in the district and all 10 blocks of Jalandhar district had been declared overexploited.

He said the rainwater harvesting systems would not only recharge the water but would also help to check the depleting water table.

He said the systems would save 10 crore litre water annually.

Sharma said the Department of Soil and Water Conservation was on the job and the buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, SSP office, CP office, Revenue Office, SDM office, Municipal Corporation, Office of Land Records, Shakti Sadan, Drainage, Irrigation, Water and Sanitation, Food Supply, Gandhi Vanita Ashram, Sports College, offices of District Education Officers (Primary and Secondary), Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Nehru Garden, Junior Model School, Meritorious School, Gandhi Camp Government School, Government BEd College, Ladowali road, Kendriya Vidyalaya (1-2-3), Jalandhar Cantonment, Government Primary and High School, Sansarpur, and Government Senior Secondary School, Model Town have been identified for the same and the proposal would be sent to the Smart City authorities this week.

He said in August, three rainwater harvesting systems were installed in the District Administrative Complex. Mostly, rainwater gets wasted in urban areas. Either it go into sewers or gets evaporated. It could be used to recharge the groundwater.

He said the state government, led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, was making concerted efforts to save the depletion of groundwater further either by plantation of saplings, increasing green cover, promoting maize and other crops which use less water, drip irrigation or installing rainwater harvesting systems in the state.

The DC exhorted youths to become ambassadors of water conservation in their localities where they live. He said it was a collective duty for all of us to save this precious asset otherwise people would face dangerous consequences.

He said the wastage of water must be stopped at any cost and requested farmers and the public to conserve water for their future generations..