Ranchi, April 27: The state government has decided to bring in a new legislation to make rooftop rain harvesting compulsory in huge buildings.

The decision was taken following a poor response to budgetary provisions for rainwater harvesting in Jharkhand and a sharp depletion of the groundwater level.

To begin with, the government has proposed that rooftop rain harvesting should be made compulsory in those buildings having a roof area of 1,000 square meters and above. Later, it will be made compulsory in all types of buildings. The water resources department has already begun rooftop rain harvesting in important public buildings.

For example, this process is already functional at the Raj Bhavan and the buildings that house Shrikrishna Institute of Public Administration in Ranchi and Zila School in Hazaribagh. Work is also going on for rooftop rain harvesting at the Nepal House.

Water Resources department senior assistant engineer B.P. Chaurasia said the groundwater level in the areas adjoining the Raj Bhavan have gone up by about a foot ever since rooftop harvesting began in these buildings.

Once rooftop harvesting becomes compulsory in all the buildings, Ranchi?s groundwater problem will be solved to a considerable extent.

Chief minister Arjun Munda proposed the idea of rainwater harvesting soon after he had begun his second innings. In the last budget, he even made specific provisions to promote this scheme. The government had also proposed to extend subsidies in the purchase of tools and equipment required for rainwater harvesting. But the response was disheartening.

Water resources department engineer-in-chief Phulan Prasad said: ?During the last financial year, a budgetary provision of Rs 74 lakh was made on this head, out of which only Rs 31.69 was spent. Every applicant was entitled to subsidies up to Rs 25,000, but there were only a few takers.?

This fiscal, too, a budgetary provision of Rs 65 lakh has been made on this head.