Licence to ‘ketch rain’

The draft policy is being prepared by a Cabinet- appointed committee.

It proposes a system of licensing for the abstraction of all water including rainwater. In other words, a licence will be required for rainwater harvesting or, as we say in local parlance, “ketching rain”.

The idea is that abstraction fees will be collected to cover the cost of operating an integrated water resources management programme.

This proposal to license the collection and use of rainwater is a backward step in any attempt to properly manage our water resources.

There are several benefits to rainwater harvesting.

These include: 1. The only treatment required for human consumption is filtering.

(No costly treatment by WASA required.) 2. Reduction in water loss through runoff, especially in built-up areas.

3. Flood mitigation.

Why seek to license rainwater harvesting when other jurisdictions are moving in the opposite direction of repealing existing rainwater harvesting laws (US) or making rainwater harvesting compulsory (India)? There are other proposals in the draft policy that are cause for concern including the linking of abstraction fees to administrative costs.

However, the proposal for one to get a licence to “ketch rain” requires immediate attention.

KAMAU AKILI Mason Hall