Dear Mr. Vishwanath,
These are days of water shortage. The water level in Krishnarajasagar is at an all-time low. Water rationing is round the corner.
Bangalore is well known for its open wells. So, why don't we revive and take care of our open wells? Places such as Malleswaram, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar and V.V. Puram have large wells in the gardens of many houses.
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Of course, many old houses have been demolished giving way to apartment blocks. These depend on borewells and tanker supplies for their water needs. Occasionally BWSSB water is supplied.
I have a house in Jayanagar which is 50 years old. The well is 35 ft. deep and about 3 ft. in diameter. Around 15 years ago I installed rooftop rain water harvesting structures. I collect around one lakh litres of rainwater each year from three rainy seasons. I filter the collected water from the roof and feed it to the well. In about two weeks of rainfall, the well is full of filtered water. The attached photo will show the well brimming with water.
I have estimated that I consume around 40,000 litres of water each year from the well. The remaining 60,000 litres feed the ground water aquifers. This is a substantial amount of water both for home consumption as well as ground water recharging. During the rainy season I am happy to shut off the BWSSB supply valve. When I use well water for all our needs,
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I not only save on my BWSSB bills but also precious Cauvery water which is now available for other users.
The rainwater harvesting solution is simple the cost involved is only for the PVC pipes and filter. I did the plumbing work myself.
I wish other citizens of our State help themselves and become self-reliant as regards water needs.
S. Chandra Shekar
‘Nandini’, 14, 9th Main Road, Third Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore-560011.
Ph: 080-26631329