Rainwater harvesting systems non-functional, complain residents

Though the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) had installed rainwater harvesting systems to sustain the levels of ground water, the residents of Rajguru Nagar claimed that these systems were not functioning properly.

Residents alleged that authorities concerned were least interested in checking the functioning of rainwater harvesting systems installed in the area that falls under LIT. Some of the systems were not even covered properly due to which, polythenes and empty bottles were also being dumped there.

KS Chawla, acting president of Rajguru Nagar Senior Citizen's Welfare Association, said, “Water gets collected on the roads in Rajguru Nagar usually, as some rainwater harvesting systems that were installed in the past are not functioning properly. The authorities concerned have failed to pay attention towards it.”

An area resident, JL Mehndiratta, said, “Nobody comes to check these systems. If the systems were functioning then water could not get accumulated during rains. These must be inspected and LIT should take required steps for their proper functioning.”

In the past, residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar had also claimed that the rainwater harvesting systems were not functioning properly and they were causing contamination of ground water.

Sukhbir Singh Jakhar, executive engineer of Ludhiana Improvement Trust, claimed, “The rainwater harvesting systems are functioning properly. But even as a precaution we will check these systems.”

He said these harvesting systems were installed around two years ago.

MC conducts no survey of buildings

Municipal Corporation has not conducted any survey to check the exact number of commercial and industrial buildings in city with rainwater harvesting system. According to new building bylaws of 2010, it is mandatory to have a rainwater harvesting system in a commercial or industrial building.

Even estimates were made to install this system in the building of Municipal Corporation's Zone D office, but the systems have not been installed yet.

The MC charges `25,000 as a security amount from a commercial building set up in 200-500 square yards, while it charges security amount of `50,000 from the commercial buildings, which are set up in more than 500 square yards area, to get rainwater harvesting system installed in their buildings.

Assistant town planner (headquarters) Kamaljeet Kaur said it was mandatory for commercial buildings with area above 200 square yards to get these rainwater harvesting systems installed.

Manjeet Singh, additional commissioner (operations and maintenance wing), MC, said, “The estimates have been made to install rain harvesting system at building of MC Zone D, but I don't know about the status.”