Curation Team
GHAZIABAD: GDA has initiated action against societies lacking rainwater harvesting systems. Inspections revealed that among 650-plus societies that were checked, many buildings didn’t have the system, while many had non-functional installations.
Building bylaws mandate rainwater harvesting systems for plots or group housing societies exceeding 300 sqm, and violation could lead to a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh.
“The enforcement team has been instructed to carry out inspections in each zone, following which notices will be issued to those who haven’t installed,” said an official from GDA.
He added that many societies lack proper maintenance of the system, leading to defunct rain harvesting systems as well; hence, they will also have to comply with the rules. The district administration, on the other hand, also has plans to install rain harvesting systems in all its 189 buildings, out of which in over 40 buildings it is installed.
According to the national compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India 2024, prepared by the Central Ground Water Board, the rate of extraction of groundwater was 124.04%, the highest in the state across all 75 districts.
As per the same report, the total annual discharge in Ghaziabad in 2024 was 4282.21 hectare/m. Hydrologist Anikta Ray said, “Annual discharge as per the report means that water which was wasted or which did not seep down to the ground due to concretisation and other reasons.”
In 2024, groundwater recharge in Ghaziabad was significantly higher during the monsoon (15,558 Ham) compared to the non-monsoon season (539.38 Ham). Despite this, the city’s groundwater table has been declining since 2017. Data shows an average pre-monsoon depletion of 9.5 m and an average post-monsoon depletion of 8.64 m between 2017 and 2024.
