Inspection of rainwater harvesting systems in Noida on Thursday

The Noida Authority will Thursday carry out an inspection at large residential societies and gated communities to check the installation and working of rainwater harvesting systems, officials said Wednesday. Authority's Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Officer Alok Tandon has formed 20 teams which will carry out the inspection on buildings spread in the area over 20,000 sq metres and present a report by Thursday evening, the officials said.

The directions for this came soon after a video conference meeting held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with all district magistrates of the state between 11 am and 1 pm which stressed the need for intensive water conservation, an Authority spokesperson said. "A meeting of the 20 teams was held at the board room in Noida Authority office and the officials concerned have been directed to carry out the inspection on residential societies and gated communities spread in an area of more than 20,000 sq metres," Authority's Officer on Special Duty Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

"The teams have been asked to check if such buildings have installed rainwater harvesting systems and if it is in working condition. Notice is to be issued wherever lapses are found and seven days time will be given to get the system up and working, failure of which will attract legal action," he said. As such also, whenever completion certificate is issued by Noida Authority for any residential society the allottee has to give a written undertaking of having rainwater harvesting system installed on their premises, the OSD informed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address on last Sunday since returning to power after general elections had emphasised the need for water conservation the way the country has mobilised support for 'Swachh Bharat', his pet project aimed at cleanliness. According to a NITI Aayog report on water scarcity, 21 Indian cities, including Delhi's satellite cities Gurgaon and Faridabad are at a major risk of running out of groundwater by next year.

Noida did not figure in those 21 cities facing the imminent water crisis but groundwater availability is a major concern in the region, with local authorities and district administration now working to revive wetlands, ponds and other water bodies.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)