Bangalore: Bill for Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting Introduced in Assembly

From Our Special Correspondent
Dajiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 2: A legislation making it mandatory to build rainwater harvesting structure by households subject to certain conditions in all the municipal corporation areas in Karnataka was introduced by Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
 
The minister, who is also in charge of Urban Development portfolio, moved the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

The Bill envisages exemption of property tax on buildings and land belonging to ex-servicemen or member of the family of the ex-servicemen and enhancement of the Upper limit of property tax leviable by all the municipal bodies.

Ex-servicemen, include persons who have served in any rank in the regular army, navy and air force and the Union. However, anybody who has served in Defence Security Corps, the General Reserve Engineering Force, the Lok Sahayak Sena and Para Military Forces will not come under the category of ex-servicemen.
 
The family of the deceased ex-servicemen means the father, mother, the surviving spouse and minor children of the deceased ex-servicemen, the Bill said.

The Bill said every owner or occupier of a building having not less than 2400 sqft of area or owner who propose to construct a building on not less than 1200 sqft should provide rainwater harvesting structure for a storage for reuse or for groundwater recharge within such date as may be notified by the Government and rules issued by the corporation.