BANGALORE: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is all geared up to disconnect water and sanitary connections to buildings which have not implemented Rain Water Harvesting (RWH).Till Wednesday, out of 58,000 buildings measuring 40 ft x 60 ft, only 32,631 buildings have installed RWH, which indicates that water service to the remaining 25,369 buildings will be disconnected from January 1, 2012.BWSSB had earlier postponed the deadlines for disconnecting its services. However, with the amendment to Karnataka Gazette Notification (May 19,2011), the water board has exercised its powers through Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 36 of 1964). The officials of BWSSB said that they had given enough time for the building owners to implement rain water harvesting. The officials also said that they had issued two appeal letters and have also spread the message through advertisements.Speaking to Express, Kemparamaiah, chairman of the Committee on rain water harvesting said, “We do not plan to extend or relax the deadline. We will disconnect the water and sanitary connections from January 1 to those buildings which have not implemented rain water harvesting.”On an average more than one hundred buildings have been implementing rain water harvesting every day. More than 3,000 buildings have installed RWH before this year end.Consumers alleged that BWSSB threatened the building owners to disconnect its services, while Kemparamaiah said, “Scarcity of water exists everywhere and we have taken up this initiative to balance the demand and supply of water. It is for the welfare of all and for the future generation that we threatened the people to stick to the rule.”Has the BWSSB implemented RWH?Replying to people’s comments if the BWSSB had implemented rain water harvesting in its buildings, Kemparamaiah said “Out of 216 buildings, 172 have already implemented rain water harvesting and for installing at the remaining BWSSB buildings, tenders have been floated and will be implemented in the next 15 days.” RWH in Govt BuildingsThere are 2,523 government buildings as per the records with the Committee on RWH, only 400 buildings have installed RWH. The figure will further reduce, as it is mandatory only for buildings of 40 ft x 60 ft plot. As per the record, 280 BBMP and 10 BDA buildings have implemented RWH. Mentioning that the number of unscientific connections are very less, Kemparamaiah also said that the rule is the same for all and stern action will also be taken against government buildings (40 ft x 60 ft) which have not implemented rain water harvesting.
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