Nashik civic body’s pilot rainwater harvesting drive at mayor’s residence

Nashik: The civic body is set to roll out a citywide rainwater harvesting drive, beginning with its own establishments, to promote sustainable water management and encourage adoption by other govt offices.As a pilot project, Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to install rainwater harvesting systems at the Ramayan bungalow, the official residence of the mayor. This will be followed by installations at six divisional offices, around 100 municipal schools, community halls, and other civic facilities. In total, more than 250 municipal properties will be covered under the initiative.A senior NMC official said instructions have been issued to the town planning department to begin installations at municipal establishments, starting with the Ramayan bungalow, located adjacent to Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, the civic headquarters. The municipal corporation also plans to issue notices to govt offices within its jurisdiction, urging them to install rainwater harvesting systems on their premises."We want all govt establishments under the municipal corporation's limits to adopt rainwater harvesting," an NMC official said, adding that the move is intended to position the civic body as a model for sustainable water practices.The initiative follows directions from a divisional commissioner-led committee on Godavari river pollution, which, last month, asked NMC to ensure rainwater harvesting systems in all govt buildings. The matter was discussed during a meeting of the NMC sub-committee on Godavari pollution, where environmentalists pressed for immediate implementation, starting with key municipal properties.Rajesh Pandit, an environmentalist and member of the sub-committee, pointed out that despite heavy rainfall last year, the city is forced to rely on water tankers due to the lack of effective rainwater harvesting, leading to further depletion of groundwater levels."We need to increase groundwater levels through rainwater harvesting systems, and we need to promote it across the city, beginning with municipal and govt establishments," said Pandit.