Delhi govt to provide financial assistance to set up rainwater harvesting systems

With an aim to increase the groundwater levels and efficiently utilise the rainwater, the Delhi government on Monday announced financial assistance of up to Rs 50,000 for the installation of Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Systems and an additional rebate of 10 per cent on the water bill.

"For the installation of the Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system, the Kejriwal government will provide financial assistance to the people of Delhi. We will offer owners who comply with the RWH guidelines financial assistance of 50 per cent of the cost, which is subject to a maximum of Rs 50,000 and a rebate of 10 per cent on water bills," Water Minister and Chairman of Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Satyendar Jain said.

Jain added that while conventional RWH system set-up requires Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh, the INLINE Rainwater Harvesting System can be set up at a cost as little as Rs 16,000.

"The RWH model uses innovative techniques and is centred on routing the rainwater directly to a bore well, instead of a regular rainwater-harvesting pit. The reason for this system to be cost-effective is that it does not require a heavy installation set-up," he said.

As per a press release of the Delhi government, to efficiently ensure the implementation of the RWH system, DJB has set up 12 Rain Centres or Jal Shakti Kendras in every district of the Capital.

"These centres will facilitate the adoption of RWH systems by providing technical assistance to individuals and institutions. The guidelines for installing the RWH system as well as the list of rain centres can be obtained from the official website of the Delhi Jal Board," it read.

Further, the release read, "The adoption of the Dungarpur model of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is one of them. This model is also known as the INLINE Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) system. This is cost-effective and is being implemented in the tribal-dominated Dungarpur district of Rajasthan."

( With inputs from ANI )