Lukewarm response to AMRUT rainwater harvesting scheme

KOCHI: The tables have turned. In a classic case of irony, the state which was nearly washed away in twice the amount of excess rainfall last year is now facing a deficit of  35 per cent, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Foreseeing water shortage and wanting to install a rainwater harvesting facility at home, Anand S called the local panchayat office to seek help. "They informed me that there are no schemes for the same and I'll have to do it completely at my own expense," he said. Wanting to solve water scarcity problems, the Kochi Corporation had designated 

Rs 1 crore for setting up rainwater harvesting systems on rooftops across the city under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Scheme. Three years since the implementation, the scheme continues to lie low, with fewer takers. 

"The project was intended for 1,200 beneficiaries and the cost of executing the project is Rs 11,000. The beneficiary must contribute Rs 2,750 while the rest will be provided from the AMRUT Scheme. However, the response was extremely poor; Despite advertisements, we received only 80 applications until now," said a Corporation official. 

 He said the amount to be shelled out by the beneficiary amount could have been a hindrance for most. "We are examining if we can change the amount charged from the beneficiary. And set up the rainwater harvesting system on the rooftops of the 80 applicants so that the rest may follow," he said. 

As per a survey conducted by the SCMS Water Institute in 2015, 74 per cent of households in the Corporation area depend on the Kerala Water Authority to meet their water demand. 

Thirty-six per cent of households that depended on groundwater reported scarcity. Fast-forward four years and the situation has worsened. Back then, only 11 per cent had adopted rooftop rainwater harvesting. Unfortunately, the introduction of the scheme has not changed the scenario either. 

V P Chandran, secretary, LDF parliamentary party, Corporation, said there has been a huge lapse from the Corporation's side. "There were discussions to even set up the systems on the rooftops of corporation offices. But they weren't initiated. The quality of water provided through tanker lorriesis doubtful. It is rather unfortunate that even in such circumstances people are unwilling to take the first step in rainwater harvesting," he said. 

For a state which receives an abundance of rainfall, harvesting the resource can solve most of our problems. "3,000 mm is the annual average amount of rainfall we receive in the state. If every 1,000 square foot of rooftop collects rain water, one can collect at least 2.5 litres of water," said Sunny George, director, SCMS Water Institute. "If one injects rooftop rainwater into a well, excess nutrients and contaminants seen along the circumference of the well will be pushed further and a freshwater zone will be created. This especially helps in a place such as Kochi as it can resist the intrusion of saline water into the inland area," he said. This can also restrict the quantity of water which is directly drained.

Namesake norm
In 2004, the Kerala Municipality Building Rules dated 1999, was amended by a notification issued by the Government of Kerala to include rainwater harvesting structures in new constructions and mandatory in high-rise apartments. However, the system is set up in a namesake manner to receive the NOC and is not utilised effectively. "Rainwater harvesting is compulsory in flats but there is no monitoring to check its effectiveness and utilisation," said P Rangadasa Prabhu, president, Ernakulam District Residents' Association Apex Council.