Bengaluru: After urging residents to set up rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems and planning initiatives to implement it in public spaces such as schools and colleges, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is now preparing for a community rainwater harvesting programme.
In the first phase, the board plans to utilise areas in apartment complexes excluded from previous RWH systems. The community RWH systems will divert the collected rainwater to nearby lakes, helping recharge groundwater levels in the area.
"Many apartments already have RWH systems to utilise the water collected on rooftops. However, through the community rainwater harvesting initiative, we intend to utilise the water collected in passageways and large untapped spaces," explained a senior BWSSB official.
The BWSSB has identified 17 apartment complexes in the city for the first phase of the programme, mapping them to nearby lakes.
"To ensure easy flow, we have mapped apartment complexes and lakes that are close to each other, around 100-200 metres apart. This way, it will help put rainwater to good use and also prevent unnecessary costs associated with laying pipelines too far," BWSSB Chairman Ramprasat Manohar V said.
The BWSSB will soon start laying pipelines to connect these apartments to lakes. The project will be funded by penalties collected from households that have failed to install RWH systems, despite a state government mandate.
Sources said the BWSSB has collected close to Rs 36 crore by penalising households that have not installed RWH systems and collects nearly Rs 1 crore a month in penalties.
Saul Kere in Bellandur, Hoodi Lake, and Sheelavanthakere in Whitefield are a few of the lakes selected for the first phase of the initiative.
Published 17 July 2024, 22:24 IST