The residents of Aditya Ashwin Apartments faced a severe water crisis this summer, much like the rest of the city. The duration of water supply to the flats was reduced to just half a day. The borewell dried up and whatever little water was left turned yellowish and sludgy.
The crisis called for a reality check on the rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures in the apartment complex and the groundwater table in the neighbourhood. Though the building was equipped with a rainwater harvesting system, the residents found it insufficient. The Aditya Ashwin Apartment Owners Association, with support from all the 37 families, decided to sink recharge wells inside the premises to augment the groundwater table.
“We studied successful models of rainwater harvesting systems implemented in neighbouring apartments and other conservation practices and concluded that recharge wells will tap maximum rainwater and also boost groundwater table. So, we decided to construct recharge wells within the premises,” says Lakshmi Viswanathan, the Association secretary.
The Association took the guidance of The Rain Centre and constructed six recharge wells, strengthened with concrete rings. An existing well, which was closed many years ago, was also revived and deepened to serve as a recharge well.
“The cost of construction for each recharge well is about ₹20,000 and all the 37 families contributed to the project,” she adds.
CHENNAI: 13-09-2019---- Rain Water Harvest system installed in an apartment on Ranga Road, Abiramapuram in Chennai. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan/The Hindu
The outlets from the rooftop rainwater harvesting pipelines will be connected the recharge wells and the surface run-off within the compound will also flow into them through the perforated lids. The residents hope that the quality of water in the borewell will too gradually improve.
“We are waiting for the monsoon to set in and see positive results,” says Karpagavalli, another resident.
