DU forms panel to look into rainwater harvesting system in its colleges

Three months after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed colleges and schools to set up rainwater harvesting systems within two months or pay an environment compensation of ₹5,00,000, Delhi University has set up a committee to look into the matter

New Delhi: Three months after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed colleges and schools to set up rainwater harvesting systems within two months or pay an environment compensation of ₹5,00,000, Delhi University has set up a committee to look into the matter.

Delhi University has set up a committee to coordinate with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and other statutory authorities for installing of rainwater harvesting system in the university and its colleges (HT Photo)

The university has set up a 16-member committee to “coordinate with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and other statutory authorities for installing of rainwater harvesting system in the university and its colleges,” says a circular dated February 28. Some members received the circular only on Monday due to Holi and the following weekend.

After its November 16 order, the NGT had issued fresh notices in January to the Public Works Department, Directorate of Education, Central Groundwater Authority, Delhi Jal Board and others in January asking for responses before March 20, regarding the installation of such systems.

DU registrar Tarun Das was unable to confirm whether the university had been issued a notice at the time, but said that “work has already been going on in various spaces around the university.”

Bipin Tiwari, the deputy dean (rainwater harvesting and works) and a member of the committee, said that the DU was gearing up to take it up and conceptualise a broad framework that will act as guidelines. “Colleges will soon be requested to initiate the process based on these guidelines. The committee will meet soon to discuss this.”

Well-known ecologist and a professor emeritus at the university CR Babu, who is also a member of the DU committee, said that as monsoon begins only in June/July, they still have time to complete the work.

“It should be ready by then. The work has to be done carefully, as the channels to recharge groundwater should also have a filtering system. Otherwise, we will just end up contaminating the groundwater as well,” he said.