Schools and offices don’t have rainwater harvesting systems, Despite of NGT rap to Delhi Government

NEW DELHI: Rainwater harvesting systems are yet to be installed in government schools and offices buildings in the capital as per a reply to an RTI from the Public Works Department (PWD). The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had pulled up the Delhi government earlier and asked it to file a response on the installation of RWH systems in schools and colleges.
NGT has given thirty days to the government to file a response and had ordered an inspection of areas where systems are still not installed. RTIActivist Yogesh Kumar filed the application but the PWD stated it has “no information” on such an application.

The NGT had sought implementation of its November 2017 order in January, asking the government and private schools and colleges to install rainwater harvesting systems at their own cost. The RWH systems are important to prevent a decline in groundwater levels and to increase availability of the drinking water as per stated in the rainwater harvesting guidelines of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
As Delhi government is yet to notify the January order, the NGT had directed DJB to inspect all residential and commercial buildings on plots of 500 sq.meters and above in July. The tribunal had also ordered a fine of Rs 5 lakh as environment compensation on buildings that haven’t installed the systems.