Lucknow buildings high & dry, bereft of rainwater harvesting benefits

Time of India

3 days ago

LUCKNOW
: Despite being legally bound under UP Building Bylaws 2016 for plots larger than 300 square metres, many high-rise apartment buildings in the city have either no rainwater harvesting system or a non-functional one. Ahead of monsoon's arrival, reality check by TOI in various areas of the city revealed gaps in implementation, raising concerns about falling groundwater levels.
Lucknow Development Authority
includes rainwater harvesting provisions while approving building plans. The ground reality, however, paints a different picture.
A recent survey by TOI and feedback from residents in areas like Gomtinagar, Jankipuram Extension and a private apartment in Gomtinagar found this important water-saving system missing or non-functional.
At Parijat Apartments in Gomtinagar, society's secretary Harsh Bardhan confirmed that the RWH system was functional in only two of five towers — Tower 2 and Tower 3. The remaining three towers (B1, B2, and Tower 1) lack the necessary infrastructure. "Total built-up area of our society is over 17,000 square metres, which makes RWH mandatory for every tower. We have raised the issue multiple times with LDA, but there has been no response," Bardhan said.
In Sunrise Apartments, in Jankipuram Extension, situation is even more alarming. Vikas Chandra Agrawal, recently elected president of the residents welfare association, said, "RWH was part of the original plan, but was never implemented. The apartment project faced major delays due to interference from farmers' unions. Although process of taking possession began in 2015, even amenities that were promised, like swimming pool and gym, were never constructed. We want RWH and other promised facilities to be delivered."
At Panchsheel Apartments in Indiranagar, resident S P Singh said there was no rainwater harvesting system. "No rainwater is collected from rooftops or surface and there is no system to recharge groundwater. The project was supposed to have been complete by 2014, but residents moved in only by 2020. With 216 flats in two towers and a large area, there should have been a rainwater system. But the builder didn't even mention it in the advertisement. We have been busy dealing with other broken promises, like community centre that was never built. There is no official residents' association yet, so we are still waiting for LDA to help," he said.
It's a mixed situation in other parts of the city. At Srishti Apartments in Vrindavan Yojna, RWH system is functional, but in nearby Smriti Apartments, it exists only on paper. "We have the setup, but it doesn't work," said Sujit Sahu, a resident.
In a private builder's apartment in Gomtinagar, RWA president Mohan Lal Sahu, said the promised RWH tanks were never constructed despite signboards being installed years ago.
"They marked locations for tanks in parks and put up boards saying 'Rainwater Harvesting,' but no tanks were built. Some of us moved in as early as in 2013, and since then, in every society meeting, we've been told 'We will build it,' but nothing has been done. Now, even boards have faded or disappeared."
When asked to comment, LDA vice chairman Prathamesh Kumar said, "Since Sunrise Apartments has been handed over to its RWA, it is their responsibility. For other apartments under our authority, like Panchsheel and Parijat, we will look into the matter and take steps to fix it."
(Input from Varun Bhatt)