Rainwater harvesting mandatory for large buildings, schools in Goa: Minister

Panaji, Jan 14 (PTI) The Goa government has made rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory for large residential, commercial and government buildings, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar told the legislative assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a starred question tabled by BJP's Krishna Salkar during the ongoing winter session, he said his department has been implementing post-monsoon water harvesting in rivers, nullahs and streams by constructing dams and bandharas (bunds).

The department is also promoting rooftop rainwater harvesting in office complexes, schools and other institutions, besides constructing rainwater harvesting pits to aid groundwater recharge.

The minister informed the House that the state government has notified a rainwater harvesting policy through an official gazette notification dated December 1, 2022.

Accordingly, rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory for residential complexes, including apartments, built on plot areas of 2,000 square metres and above, commercial complexes on plots of 1,500 square metres and above, and industrial units on plots of 10,000 square metres and above. The requirement also applies to all government buildings and government schools and colleges, the minister said.

However, users who incorporate sewage treatment plants or wastewater recycling processes where grey water is reused are exempted from the mandatory inclusion of rainwater harvesting structures, Shirodkar said.

Under the "Catch the Rain 2025" campaign, the government plans to equip most government schools and government buildings with rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, he added. PTI RPS KRK