PANAJI: The Goa government has mandated rooftop rainwater harvesting for large residential, commercial, and government buildings, announced Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar in the legislative assembly on Wednesday.
Responding to a question posed by BJP’s Krishna Salkar during the ongoing winter session, Shirodkar stated that his department has been working on post-monsoon water harvesting in rivers, nullahs, and streams by constructing dams and bunds.
The department is also advocating for rooftop rainwater harvesting in office complexes, schools, and other institutions, in addition to building rainwater harvesting pits to support groundwater recharge.
The minister revealed that the state government officially announced a rainwater harvesting policy via a gazette notification on December 1, 2022.
Under this policy, rainwater harvesting is mandatory for residential complexes with plot areas of 2,000 square metres and above, commercial complexes on plots of 1,500 square metres and above, and industrial units on plots of 10,000 square metres and above. This requirement also extends to all government buildings, including schools and colleges, according to the minister.
However, Shirodkar noted that users who implement sewage treatment plants or wastewater recycling systems that allow for the reuse of grey water are exempt from the mandatory rainwater harvesting structures.
As part of the “Catch the Rain 2025” initiative, the government aims to equip most government schools and buildings with rooftop rainwater harvesting systems.
