BMC wants your opinion on water recycling rules

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) displayed the bye-laws on its official website in March to invite public suggestions and objections before their implementation. Poorvi Kulkarni reports.

The civic body is yet to receive a single response from citizens on the draft of bye-laws for grey water reuse in housing and commercial complexes in the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) displayed the bye-laws on its official website in March to invite public suggestions and objections before their implementation.

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With the deadline set to lapse on May 21, there are only four days left for citizens to send in their feedback.“We have not received any response from the public so far. The deadline is likely to be extended,” said a senior civic official.

The bye-laws, once implemented, will make it mandatory for residential and commercial buildings that fall under certain criteria to set up a grey water recycling facility in the building premises.

The recycling plant will ensure that water from your kitchen and bathroom is released into a separate collection chamber, where it will be treated before being stored in a separate tank. This water would then be supplied for non-drinking purposes. With this, BMC hopes to reduce citizens’ use of potable water for purposes other than drinking.

As per the bye-laws, if residents do not install such a plant, a penalty of Rs 5,000 can be levied on the day of detection. Residents will have to pay a subsequent fine of Rs100 per day until corrective action is taken. Failure to operate the plant according to prescribed standards would also attract a penalty of Rs500 per day or even disconnection of water supply.

These bye-laws will also make installation of the recycling facility mandatory for existing buildings. As an additional incentive, BMC has proposed to give 25 per cent rebate in water and sewerage taxes to buildings with BMC certificates for 25 percent reduction in use of potable water.