Lok Sabha Question No. 1241 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-09
Subject: Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Ramesh Chandra Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1241

## ANSWERED ON 09.02.2023

## ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING

## 1241. SHRI RAMESH CHANDRA MAJHI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for rooftop rainwater harvesting in the country;

(b) the funds allocated to the States for creating sustainable structure for rooftop rainwater harvesting;

(c)  whether  there  is  any  provision  to  equip  all  the  Government  office/buildings  in  the  country  with rooftop rainwater conservation system; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) Water is a state subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States on water conservation and recharge, including rainwater harvesting, through technical and financial support.

In  rural  areas,  roof  top  rain  water  harvesting  structures  are  taken  up  by  the  Department  of  Rural Development under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) implements Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in municipal areas which inter-alia includes rain water harvesting as one of the project components.

MoHUA has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014, wherein adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures. As per MBBL, all buildings having a plot size of 100 sq.m. or, more mandatorily include the complete proposal of rainwater harvesting.

In  addition,  in  order  to  boost  construction  of  rain  water  harvesting  structures  in  the  country,  a nationwide campaign viz. 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan was taken up in the years 2019, 2021 and 2022. During 2021 and 2022, this campaign was taken up as Jal Shakti Abhiyan- Catch the Rain' (JSA:CTR) with the theme ' Catch  the  rain,  where  it  falls,  when  it  falls ' for  creating  appropriate  rainwater  harvesting structures  in urban and rural areas of all the districts in the country, with people's active participation, during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period.

Besides,  Government  of  India  has  taken  up  following  steps  to  encourage  roof  top  rain  water harvesting structures in the country:

- i. States/ UTs have been advised to enable Rural Local Bodies/Panchayats to utilise 15 th Finance Commissions tied grants to take up rooftop rain water harvesting in Government buildings like panchayat, bhawans, anganwadis, schools, Primary Health Centres etc.
- ii. National Water Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti has been organizing workshops and seminar series like water talks to stimulate awareness, build capacities of stakeholders and encourage people to become active participants to sustain life by saving water on earth which includes rooftop rainwater harvesting. National Water Mission has also requested all Ministries/Departments  to  construct  rainwater  harvesting  structures  in  the  buildings  under their administrative control.
- iii. Central  Ground  Water  Authority  (CGWA)  has  advised  all  States/UTs  to  take  measures  to promote/adopt artificial recharge to ground water /rain water harvesting.
- iv. National Water Policy (2012) inter-alia advocates water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
- v. Model Building  Bye  Laws (MBBL), 2016 circulated by the Ministry of Housing  & Urban Affairs  include  provisions  of  Rainwater  Harvesting  in  all  the  buildings  in  the  country including Government office/ buildings and it has been shared with all the States/UTs. So far, barring Sikkim, Lakshadweep and Mizoram all the States/UTs have adopted the provisions of MBBL-2016.

(b) 15 th Finance Commission grants of Rs. 1,28,436.19 crore have been released to States to be utilised through Rural Local Bodies which includes disbursement towards expenditure on rainwater harvesting. JSA:  CTR  is  a  convergence  of  many  schemes  and  stakeholders.  The  budgets  provided  by  Central government,  State  Governments,  Finance  Commission  grants  and  locally  mobilised  funds  are  used  to fund the water related works including rainwater harvesting under JSA: CTR.

(c) & (d) As per the Model Building Bye Laws formulated by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), it is mandatory to install Rainwater Harvesting structures in Government buildings. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), construction of roof top rain  water  harvesting  structures  in  Government  and  Panchayats  buildings  is  permissible.  Central Ministries/  Departments  and  Districts/State  Governments/UTs  have  been  requested  to  create  water conservation  structures  which  include  roof  top  rain  water  harvesting  structures  in  government  offices, buildings and premises across the country.

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