Mumbai:
It was a radical idea for a water-starved city like Mumbai, a city whose construction boom never seems to end.
The government had introduced a new rule eight years ago that clearances for new buildings would be given only if they set up a rain water harvesting system. But NDTV found that the municipality has been blatantly flouting its own rules.
Mumbai is literally choking on itself, a city which has less and less water for its residents.
So when the government made rain-water harvesting mandatory for new buildings in 2002, it was seen as a radical solution to the water crisis.
2002: Buildings to get occupation certificates only if they have rain-water harvesting plants
The system stores rainwater for use through the year providing up to a third of a building's water needs
Yet this is what we found in suburban Mumbai: Siddhi Apartments got an occupation certificate in April this year but it does not have a rain-water harvesting plant. Which means the clearance was illegal.
"The builder has not put in rainwater harvesting here. The government doesn't seem to know about it," said Jatin Gosalia, resident.
Even more shocking, this is not an exception.
Information sourced by NDTV shows that in a six year span 900 buildings in Mumbai set up rain-water harvesting plants but over five times that number got occupation certificates.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation: Breaking its own rules? (2003-2009)
Rain-water harvesting: 900 buildings
Occupation certificates: 5,137 buildings
The numbers just don't add up. How did all these buildings get clearances if they don't have rain water harvesting plants? The municipality has clearly broken its own rules. In a city which has a powerful builders lobby, the clearances, many say, smack of corruption.
"The numbers indicate that someone clearly has been allowing this to happen," said Janak Daftari, Rain Water Harvesting expert.
When asked about this glaring discrepancy, the Municipal Commissioner only said the rule would now be enforced more diligently.
"Before we grant the occupation certificate and people can move in to stay in the building, our officers will personally check and certify that the rain water harvesting system is in place," said Swadheen Kshtriya, Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
It's this scheme that state government has been show-casing when it talks of eco-housing but clearly it's a scheme which is barely implemented.