A Parliamentary panel has suggested the Government to persuade State Governments and Union Territories to use traditional practices of roof water harvesting and other simple technologies outlined by NITI Aayog.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development, in its report, said it was constrained to note that centuries-old traditional rain water harvesting technologies in the form of Aahar-Pynes in South Bihar, Bawadis in Rajasthan, Bhandaras in Maharashtra, Bundela and Chandela tanks in Madhya Pradesh, Naulas in Uttrakhand etc have been put into disuse and low cost and affordable rain water harvesting technologies for rooftop and drive way run off technologies brought out by NITI Aayog that are already available with State Governments/UTs have not been implemented in desired measures.

The Committee said it was constrained to note that whatever work that has been done is in Pilot Project stages in over exploited areas in nine States and works on Base Line Framework for Water Recycling has been undertaken by NITI Aayog alone.

In this context, the Ministry of Water Resources and River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs were unanimous before the Committee about need for revival of traditional rain water harvesting technologies, training and transfer of technology and finding ways to store or divert the flood flows and its utilisation for agriculture and for other purposes.

In this connection, the Committee felt that technologies outlined by NITI Aayog for roof top and Drive Way Rainfall Harvesting like Sumps and Open Well, Percolation Wells and other methods are quite workable that can be used in a big way by flat owners and office complexes alike.

The Committee said it was also constrained to find that both the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have forsaken their role in this regard by taking the shelter behind ‘Water’ being State Subject and thereby leaving this important subject as a responsibility of State Governments.

The Committee observed that although various rain harvesting technologies both traditional and otherwise are already available with the State Governments, yet there is virtually no work done at ground level for the intended purpose. (UNI)