Chennai rainwater harvesting systems that exist only on paper must be inspected, repaired and brought back into operation, the Tamil Nadu Alliance of Resident Welfare Associations (AORWA) has told Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The association also sought urgent restoration of lakes, ponds, feeder channels and catchment areas across the state.
In a letter to the chief minister, AORWA called for strict enforcement of rainwater harvesting requirements in all buildings and a state-wide inspection of existing systems. It said non-functional structures should be repaired and reactivated within a specified deadline, with resident welfare associations involved in monitoring and maintenance.
“It is not enough to have rainwater harvesting structures on paper. The govt must make sure they are working, properly connected, and maintained regularly,” AORWA president D Neelakannan said, according to the association’s submission.
The demands place the focus on the operational condition of rainwater harvesting infrastructure rather than merely its presence in building records. AORWA also proposed local-body monitoring teams and a digital system that would track the status of rainwater harvesting facilities in every ward.
The association asked the government to launch a public awareness campaign on water conservation and establish a permanent Tamil Nadu Water Security and Rainwater Conservation Mission with measurable targets. Such a mission, it said, should provide a long-term framework for water conservation across the state.
AORWA separately sought action to identify and remove encroachments from water bodies and their catchment areas. It said restoration work should extend beyond what it described as “cosmetic desilting” to include inlet and outlet channels, feeder canals, catchment areas and natural drainage pathways.
The association linked its request to changing weather patterns and the possibility of an El Nino event, arguing that the government should prepare for water stress before a crisis develops. “With changing weather patterns and the possibility of El Nino, the govt should not wait for a water crisis. We need a long-term, scientifically planned water-security programme across Tamil Nadu,” Neelakannan said.
The proposals would require coordination among state departments, urban local bodies, building authorities and resident associations. The next steps sought by AORWA include a government decision on state-wide inspections, deadlines for repairing failed systems, local monitoring arrangements and the creation of a permanent water-security mission.
