Water is a state subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States on water conservation and recharge, including rainwater harvesting, through technical and financial support.
In rural areas, roof top rain water harvesting structures are taken up by the Department of Rural Development under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) implements Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in municipal areas which inter-alia includes rain water harvesting as one of the project components.
MoHUA has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014, wherein adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 sq.m. or, more mandatorily include the complete proposal of rainwater harvesting.
In addition, in order to boost construction of rain water harvesting structures in the country, a nationwide campaign viz. “Jal Shakti Abhiyan was taken up in the years 2019, 2021 and 2022. During 2021 and 2022, this campaign was taken up as Jal Shakti Abhiyan- Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) with the theme “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls” for creating appropriate rainwater harvesting structures in urban and rural areas of all the districts in the country, with people’s active participation, during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period.
Besides, Government of India has taken up following steps to encourage roof top rain water harvesting structures in the country:
- States/ UTs have been advised to enable Rural Local Bodies/Panchayats to utilise 15th Finance Commissions tied grants to take up rooftop rain water harvesting in Government buildings like panchayat, bhawans, anganwadis, schools, Primary Health Centres etc.
- National Water Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti has been organizing workshops and seminar series like water talks to stimulate awareness, build capacities of stakeholders and encourage people to become active participants to sustain life by saving water on earth which includes rooftop rainwater harvesting. National Water Mission has also requested all Ministries/Departments to construct rainwater harvesting structures in the buildings under their administrative control.
- Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has advised all States/UTs to take measures to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water /rain water harvesting.
- National Water Policy (2012) inter-alia advocates water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
- Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 circulated by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs include provisions of Rainwater Harvesting in all the buildings in the country including Government office/ buildings and it has been shared with all the States/UTs. So far, barring Sikkim, Lakshadweep and Mizoram all the States/UTs have adopted the provisions of MBBL-2016.
15th Finance Commission grants of Rs. 1,28,436.19 crore have been released to States to be utilised through Rural Local Bodies which includes disbursement towards expenditure on rainwater harvesting. JSA: CTR is a convergence of many schemes and stakeholders. The budgets provided by Central government, State Governments, Finance Commission grants and locally mobilised funds are used to fund the water related works including rainwater harvesting under JSA: CTR.
As per the Model Building Bye Laws formulated by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), it is mandatory to install Rainwater Harvesting structures in Government buildings. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), construction of roof top rain water harvesting structures in Government and Panchayats buildings is permissible. Central Ministries/ Departments and Districts/State Governments/UTs have been requested to create water conservation structures which include roof top rain water harvesting structures in government offices, buildings and premises across the country.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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