The Odisha government on Wednesday decided to spend Rs.100 crore in creating rainwater harvesting structures (RHS) in urban areas over next five years.
In the first phase, urban areas such as Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Titlagarh, Jharusguda and Brajarajnagar have been identified for implementation of RHS schemes through the Water Resource Department.
A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik decided that the Department would set up RHS in 16,405 private and 550 government buildings.
The Department would provide technical knowhow for RHS while unemployed graduate and diploma holders in agriculture, civil, mechanical and environmental programmes would be given special training to work as consultants.
The government also decided to give maximum Rs.45,000 or subsidy of 50 per cent of cost of a RHS project for house with area of 2150 sq ft or less. It is to be noted that the Odisha Groundwater Bill 2011 has made RHS mandatory for houses having area of 2150 sq ft or more.
