Lucknow: The housing department has made it mandatory for construction companies and individuals taking up residential, commercial, mixed-use, or any other kind of real estate project measuring 10 acres or more to reserve 1% of the land for setting up a waterbody.Apart from helping in recharging the ground water level, the water from the resrvoir will be recycled and used for non-potable services like cleaning, maintaining green cover and dust suppression. Though provisions to conserve rainwater in group housing projects existed, the presence of a waterbody within a layout would help in diverting and recycling the water used daily for various purposes. Senior officials from the department said the objective is to prevent ‘surface runoff’ water from getting wasted. “The water that overflows after being used for purposes like car cleaning, mopping and irrigation is going to be diverted towards the waterbody,” said the official. Help from land surveyors or the expertise of geomatics experts would be taken to determine the ground elevation to ensure the waterbody is developed at a lower level and naturally attracts the runoff water towards itself. Ideally, a depth of 2m shall be maintained to create the waterbody. The recent govt order issued by the principal secretary of the housing department, P Guruprasad, is aimed at mitigating the urban island effect within the cities. In another order, developers, while planning the green cover, parks and landscaping area, would have to minimise the use of concrete. “Clearance to the layout plan is going to be provided only when the parks are developed with minimum use of concrete. Only 5% of the total area earmarked as green cover or park could be developed through concrete mix,” said the officer. Similarly, jogging track and walkway developed in the building compound must be constructed using material that is permeable and allows seepage of water into the ground.
