Rainwater harvesting system must for all new buildings

Planning to construct a new house or office building in Delhi? You will now have to install a rainwater harvesting system to obtain a completion certificate from civic agencies.

Planning to construct a new house or office building in Delhi? You will now have to install a rainwater harvesting system to obtain a completion certificate from civic agencies.

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The Delhi cabinet has in principle approved a proposal to make the system mandatory for all new constructions. The government has asked the Delhi Jal Board to come up with guidelines on the issue.

The government had earlier proposed that proper water connections should only be issued to a building that has a rainwater harvesting system. The Cabinet on Monday suggested that the condition be laid in the building bye-laws.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said, "We will start with all big buildings — government, institutional and private — and then go down to private houses.”

The Cabinet also agreed to revise the guidelines for MLA Local Area Development Scheme 2012 to make it mandatory to provide Rs. 1 crore of the total Rs. 4 crore for water and sanitation work annually, except in NDMC and Delhi Cant. areas.

The other important Cabinet decisions included setting up of a commission to redress the grievances of SCs and STs, a bill for which will be tabled in the assembly soon, Dikshit said.

Delhi government will now also provide mobile phones to judicial officers and give Rs. 1,500 per month towards the bill.

Under the scheme, cell phones costing up to Rs. 10,000 will be given to all judicial officers.

The Cabinet also approved an ambitious plan to promote self-employment among SC, ST OBC and minority communities through a loan scheme.

The Dilli Swarozgar Yojna, announced in the 2012-13 budget speech, will provide Rs. 5 lakh to the eligible citizens.

(with PTI inputs)