Guwahati Builders Flout Rainwater Harvesting Rules as GMC Fails to Enforce Byelaws

Builders seek GMC byelaw modifications and submitted memorandum.  

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Most of the apartments and commercial buildings in Guwahati conveniently flout the mandatory regulations for rainwater conservation, harvesting, and groundwater discharge guidelines under the Assam Unified Building Construction (Regulations) Byelaws 2022.   

The GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) is the nodal agency responsible for monitoring these regulations. However, the civic body finds it comfortable to neglect its monitoring role. The purpose of all these measures is to arrest the groundwater depletion, reduce surface runoff to minimize waterlogging and ensure environmental sustainability in urban development. However, it has come to our attention that some premises within the city limits do not have properly constructed rainwater harvesting structures and percolation pits for groundwater recharge. The premises have no mandatory green spaces that absorb rainwater.

Regarding groundwater recharge installations, builders often raise certain questions, and they want modifications relating to Groundwater Recharge Installations Rules. They have submitted a memorandum to the authority concerned. They said, "The current provisions rely primarily on percolation pits, which are ineffective, as rainwater is unable to penetrate the impervious surface layer and the underground aquifers for meaningful recharge. Furthermore, the existing installations are found to present significant practical difficulties in implementation, in addition to contributing to surface flooding, waterlogging and contamination."

They said that the Central Groundwater Board or the Ministry of Water Resources' system of artificial recharge of groundwater needs to be adopted in Assam. According to them, (i) the groundwater recharge structures shall be designed in accordance with (i) (i) local hydro-geological conditions, (ii) recharge system shall bypass impervious soil layer to ensure direct aquifer recharge, (iii) recharge structure shall not cause surface floods, waterlogging and contamination, (iv) it needs to ensure that the volume (of recharging) is not less than the total volume of rainwater recharge specified under the existing byelaws, and (v) in the place of existing percolation pits, adoption of injection wells, in view of impervious soil that exists and prevents effective infiltration through conventional percolation structures.

They also took up the matter with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister assured them that the government would make necessary amendments to the relevant sections of the existing byelaws.

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