Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa is looking to tap one of its most underused water resources — rain falling on rooftops — as the government steps up efforts to reduce pressure on groundwater reserves.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has set a target of getting 200 rainwater harvesting projects implemented across the state over the next year, with department engineers being assigned direct responsibility for taking the initiative forward.
Instead of waiting for applications, each engineer will have to identify two suitable locations within their jurisdiction and ensure that the proposed systems are completed and made functional within the stipulated period.
WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said the department was expecting its engineers to take the initiative to the field and actively identify sites where rainwater could be captured and used for groundwater recharge.
The campaign will particularly target industrial estates and educational institutions, where extensive rooftop space could provide significant scope for collecting rainwater.
Factories, colleges and other large establishments will therefore form an important part of the department’s outreach as it seeks to expand harvesting infrastructure beyond individual households.
The government’s renewed push comes against the backdrop of limited response to the rainwater harvesting programme since its introduction several years ago. According to Shirodkar, inadequate awareness among residents and institutional authorities has been one of the major factors restricting wider adoption.
The department is now seeking to bridge that gap through direct intervention by its field engineers.
Goa already has town planning provisions requiring rainwater harvesting facilities in new residential complexes, commercial developments and government buildings. The latest drive is intended to supplement these requirements by increasing actual implementation on the ground.
A senior WRD official said greater dependence on groundwater could become a concern in the coming years, particularly as changing and unpredictable monsoon patterns make water availability less certain.
The official said increasing the amount of rainwater captured during the monsoon could help replenish groundwater reserves while reducing dependence on conventional sources.
Financial assistance is also available under the state’s rainwater harvesting policy to encourage individuals and institutions to install such systems.
Individual homeowners can receive assistance covering up to 50 per cent of the installation cost, subject to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh.
For residential complexes, cooperative societies, apartments, private schools, colleges, commercial establishments, industrial units and hospitality businesses, the assistance can go up to Rs 5 lakh.
