When the wells run dry….
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Harvest rainwater and help improve groundwater table
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We know the worth of water, when the wells go dry — Benjamin Franklin said that a couple of hundred years ago.
Meet R. Balasubramaniyan, living in the leafy suburb of Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore. He built his house in 1995 and since no water was made available by the city utility for the construction, he had a well dug in his house. Arumugham, the well digger, not only located the point for the well but also dug it with a team and struck water at about 40 feet.
The well served the household as did the other wells in the neighbourhood till the year 2001 when due to bad rains all the wells dried up. Most of the neighbours closed their wells since by this time the city water utility piped network had come to the homes.
Water recharging
Not Mr. Balasubramaniyan, he kept the well going even without water till one day he read about rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. With a bit of scouting around, he found that it was pretty much a simple affair.
All he had to do was to get the water from the roof to his well, put a filter and let the filtered water into the well.
He got busy organising this and did it in about a week’s time.
The next rain brought copious water to the well and pretty soon the water table had risen.
Now he has enough water from the well and does not need the utility supply at all even through summer.
Every time it rains, he can hear the satisfying sound of rainwater getting into his well. He just wishes that his neighbours had followed his path. In a city that is short of water, a new bye-law has been introduced which makes rainwater harvesting mandatory before a connection is given by the city water utility.
Mandatory
As early as June 5, 2004, a building bye-law made it mandatory for new buildings beyond 100 square metre plinth area or plot area of more than 200 square metres.
Building plan approvals and completion certificates are given only if this is practised.
Even without the laws, citizens like Mr. Balasubramaniyan are showing that rainwater harvesting can make a difference in their lives as well as ease the water shortage of the city.
S.VISHWANATH
Bangalore
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