Some of the residential complexes in Chennai managed their water requirements without booking a tanker even during the sweltering heat this June. The reason: open wells on their premises.
Rain Centre, a voluntary organisation advocating rainwater harvesting, has been helping more apartments to use water from open wells to supplement the supply by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to meet the shortfall in their daily requirements.
Residents of an apartment in R.A. Puram draw nearly 90,000 litres of water daily from the open well that has a groundwater within a depth of 10 feet. “We have been using water from the open well for eight years since Rain Centre desilted it. We didn’t turn to water tankers even during the 2019 drought,” said A.K. Subramanian, resident of R.A. Puram.
Similarly, some large apartments in MRC Nagar, Besant Nagar and Alwarpet are reaping the benefits of the shallow aquifer through the open wells. Six open wells in residential complex in MRC Nagar are yielding nearly 1.6 lakh litres of water daily to feed about 300 flats.
Rain Centre (ph: 9677043869), which has been assisting residents in digging and desilting the open wells, found that some residential complexes in Rajiv Gandhi Salai have opted for open wells. The centre has dug 23 open wells in the past few months.
Shallow aquifer
Centre’s director Sekhar Raghavan said a survey around Shastri Nagar and Besant Nagar on Wednesday revealed that groundwater was available at a depth of 10 feet. Groundwater extraction may vary according to demand and piped water supply. “People must realise that a shallow aquifer and open wells are potential sources for daily supply. It will improve water quality and reduce pumping cost,” he said.
Noting that rich water table depends on soil condition, he said residents may check the water table in the vicinity and decide on tapping groundwater through open wells. With proper rainwater harvesting, open wells can be quickly replenished for use throughout the year unlike deep aquifer.
This would also help in flood mitigation. A repeat of 2021 floods can be avoided as high groundwater level in the city, which was left untapped, led to inundation, Mr. Raghavan added.
