Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 7:

In the last one-decade groundwater level in the Odisha capital has dipped by about two-three metre but strangely, the state government is yet to wake up from its slumber while its programme to harvest rainwater and recharge groundwater level has failed.

rooftop rain water harvesting

The government has blissfully forgotten its own decision as a result of which water crisis is deepening in the state capital region.

While the government is yet to decide on which department will take steps for rooftop rainwater harvesting, departmental officers are busy shifting the blame on one another and managing to give the slip.

The government’s dilly-dallying with the implementation of the plan, it is apprehended may lead to Maharashtra’s Latur like situation.

According to an estimate provided by the Regional Meteorological Centre here, the state had received a rainfall of 1198.5 mm in 2014 out which 1024 mm was received during the monsoons. Similarly, the state had received 1530 mm rainfall in 2015 out of which 1248 mm was received during the monsoons. In the absence of rainwater conservation, 2728.5 mm of rainfall drained into the sea through rivers and nullahs and groundwater level did not rise. Had half of that been harvested, the state that has been witnessing water crisis in the last two years would not have faced the situation. The government last year had drawn up an estimate to spend Rs 100 crore on this account in four years and had sanctioned Rs one crore for the programme last year.

According to information provided by sources in Central Ground Water Board groundwater levels have substantially dipped in the state capital. In the last one decade, it has decreased by one and a half metres at some places and between two to three metres at some.

While the ground water level was 4.44 mts in Sahidnagar area in 2006, it has dipped to 5.30 mts in 2016.

Similarly, in Kapilaprasad it has dipped from 6.15 mts to 7.10 mts, and in Raghunathpur from 2.11 mts to 2.35 mts.  Though it is not reaching to worrying levels in these areas, the levels in Khandagiri, Jayadev Vihar, CRPF and Chandrasekharpur localities is a matter of concern as it is failing to attain its original levels even during the monsoons.

Since ground water level is fast plummeting not only in the state capital but across the state, the government had not only decided to curb its use but implement rooftop rainwater harvesting programme in all government offices. Last year it was decided to implement rooftop rainwater harvesting programme in 550 select government office buildings. Over 50 government office buildings in the state capital were on the list.  However, it has not been implemented in any of the government offices till date barring the newly built OERC building.

Sources revealed that it is yet to be decided which department will set up roof top rainwater harvesting system in government buildings.  The departments of Works and Water Resources are busy shifting the responsibility on each other.

According to the Water Resources department construction and maintenance of government buildings lies with the Works department, so it should take the responsibility. On the other hand,  the Works department is of the opinion that conservation of rain water being the responsibility of the Water Resources department it should take the responsibility of rooftop rainwater harvesting in a government building.

However, a senior official of the Water Resources department revealed that work undertaken by their department in some office buildings will be completed within a month or two.