E-Paper
Poor supply force developers to store water
Fast depleting groundwater and poor supply level from the Govt channels have forced pvt developers to arrange for their own water reservoirs in their high-rise projects, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.
Fast depleting groundwater and poor supply level from the government channels in Gurgaon have forced private developers to arrange for their own water reservoirs in their high-rise projects. The reservoirs will store rainy water for one to two months consumption, in case of disruption in water supply, from the regular government sources.
Some of the developers have even decided to resort to differential pricing system and charge its users according to the usage to make them ‘responsible’ water users. At present the users are charged either the flat monthly rate or water charges form the part of monthly maintenance charges irrespective of the quantum of water usage.
Majority of the hi-rise residential and commercial projects including malls are dependent on groundwater supply.
Indiscriminate extraction of groundwater especially the developers themselves for the construction of their buildings has resulted in fast depletion level at the rate of above three feet a year.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has warned that groundwater may get dry in Gurgaon in next 8-9 years if the depletion continues at this rate in Gurgaon.
“Definitely, the fast depleting groundwater level in Gurgaon is a cause of worry. It is because of this that we have decided to set up huge reservoirs to store rainy water through rain water harvesting (RWH) technique. For example in our ILD Spire Greens residential hi-rise project in Sector 37-C, we would have large reservoirs that would conserve rainy water during monsoon. In case of disruption in the regular water supply, the water so stored could be used for about a month,” said Ashish Bhalla, the managing director of Millennium Spire India Management Limited.
He, however, said that the reservoir water would meet just 10 per cent demand of the total water requirement of 120 million liters for 760 apartments. Raheja Developers too have similar plans and have set up reservoirs in its Atlantis residential hi-rise project in Sector 32, NH-8. “We have the capacity of water storage of about two months in our underground tanks,” said Navin Raheja, the MD of Raheja Group.
