A rainwater harvesting project being implemented by the Kochi Corporation under the Union government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) saw few takers among city residents, and has turned to government buildings to achieve its targeted fund utilisation. Around ₹1 crore had been set aside under the AMRUT project to set up rainwater harvesting systems in about 513 houses in the city. But only a little over 100 applications were received for the project and of them, only ten households were willing to pay the beneficiary contribution of ₹2,750, an official associated with the project said.
The implementing team was now in the process of identifying other buildings, mostly schools and anganwadis, to set up the rainwater harvesting system, they said. A rooftop system that would collect rainwater and transfer it to a tank for immediate use after filtering would be set up.
The Government Girls School in the Ernakulam South area was being considered as a possible site. Government offices might not be a feasible option, considering that some of the buildings were taken on rent, the official said. Of the ten beneficiaries who were willing to pay their contribution, work had begun in a few houses. The lukewarm response to the scheme was difficult to explain, since the project does not require the availability of much space, the official said.
All AMRUT projects are to be completed by March next year. Since there was little work to be done on the site itself, the team would be able to meet its target by next year, the official added.
