Rainwater harvesting is a very efficient sustainable method for conserving water. However, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), the ministry in charge of protecting environment, itself is not setting a great example.

Information from an RTI has revealed that the rain water harvesting structures at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, office is not being maintained.

The RTI revealed that while rain water harvesting is being done at MoEF office, the ministry has not spent any money on maintaining the structure for doing the same.

The RTI was filed by Vikrant Tongad of Social Action for Forest and Environment, an NGO that works for issues like construction of rainwater harvesting system, ground water depletion, illegal tree cutting.

“Post or pre-monsoon maintenance of rain water harvesting structure is mandatory otherwise no benefit of RWH structure. This is major cause of rain water harvesting failure in Delhi,” Tongad said.

According to Central Ground Water Board manual on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water, “periodic maintenance of artificial recharge structures is essential because infiltration capacity reduces rapidly as a result of silting, chemical precipitation and accumulation of organic matter.”