For the first time in five years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to be serious about rainwater harvesting schemes.
For the first time in five years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to be serious about rainwater harvesting schemes. In a modest attempt, the building proposals department of the BMC will list out names of all buildings from Bandra, Khar and Santa Cruz in H-west ward which have managed to obtain occupation certificates showing rainwater harvesting schemes on paper but have actually not implemented it. Occupation Certificates (OC) of such buildings can be revoked.
“We have started preparing a list of those buildings, which obtained Occupation Certificates post 2007, when rainwater harvesting was made mandatory for buildings which were built on a plot of more than 300 sq mtrs. It will be then handed over to the building and factories department. Officials will visit the buildings and check whether the system is in place or not. Their report will then be handed over to higher authorities and appropriate action will be taken,” said a senior official.
Civic officials said if it is found that buildings have blatantly violated the rules, occupation certificates can be revoked.
“I have demanded action against all concerned architects who have submitted fake certificates which say that rainwater harvesting systems are in place. Similarly action should be taken against civic officials who approved such plans and signed on completion certificates without verifying facts,” said Tushar Aphale, office bearer of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and a civic activist from Bandra.
The step taken by the building proposals department was the result of a right to information application filed by Aphale. “I was shocked to learn that the BMC does not have any records of how many buildings have rainwater harvesting schemes in place in Bandra. They didn’t even have information about buildings which are using this facility,” said Aphale.
However, Aphale said the BMC’s willingness to rectify the mistake is a welcome move. The idea is not to punish anyone, but to ensure that water is conserved, he added.
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