Install rainwater harvesting and get 10% property tax rebate: Aurangabad civic body

AURANGABAD: The civic body, in order to encourage rainwater harvesting, offers a 10 percent discount on the general property tax if the residents establish a rainwater harvesting mechanism in their premises. However, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) itself has failed to make any provisions to arrest rainwater on its properties anywhere in the city.

Experts suggest that all households and commercial units should install system for conserving the rainwater in city which often has a dry climate and low rainfall from past few years. The AMC also encourages the citizens to install the mechanism by offering tax rebate.

According to a civic official, it is mandatory to set up rainwater harvesting system in order to secure building permissions for all new applicants. The residents get a certificate from the town planning department confirming that they have installed the rainwater harvesting and show it to the respective ward offices to get the tax rebate.

AB Deshmukh of the Town Planning department of the AMC said that on an average of 600 citizens give an undertaking to the department claiming that they have installed the system. “There is a widespread awareness among the citizens about the need of conserving the water. We are getting an impressive number of applications,” Deshmukh said.

However, the civic body itself has failed to understand the importance of conserving the rainwater. The AMC has three main office buildings, nine wards offices, two auditoriums and other properties under its possession but none have rainwater harvesting installed in the premises.

When questioned Waman Kamble of the estate department about the situation, he answered, “We have proposed setting up rainwater harvesting system in our buildings.”

Another resident Swati Pedgaonkar, a teacher who lives near the Divisional Sports Complex, said that her housing society decided to install rainwater harvesting four years ago. The decision has helped the residents tide over the water shortage significantly. “Earlier, our bore well used to dry up by January-February but after installing the system, it sustains for another 1 to 1 and half months,” she said.

The residents want the government establishments, especially, the municipal corporation to lead by example in installing the mechanism to preserve the precious rainwater.