Open wells still a lifeline here

Many opt for it as it is a cheaper and viable option

Near-historic: A well in Dhobi Ghat at Vyalikaval in Bengaluru, provides 10,000 litres of water daily.

In many pockets of the city, open wells continue to serve as a crucial lifeline for many communities and individuals.

In his home in Pottery Town, T. Krishna, a potter, has opted for open well as it was the cheaper option. For just ₹12,000, an open well was created barely a few feet in diameter and depth of 20 ft. The well quickly filled up with water, which is pumped into a tank. “Apart from drinking, we use this water for everything else. It only needs to be cleaned once a year,” he says.

In Dhobi Ghat

In a corner of the bustling Dhobi Ghat at Vyalikaval, the huge, near-historic well at the corner of the sprawling premises continues to be a lifeline for more than 850 workers in the area. The tanks for washing nearly 1 lakh garments, towels and bedsheets daily are filled by three borewells and the 35-ft diameter open well.

“The borewells are dug to 1,000 ft into the ground, but the open well provides us with water even at 50 ft,” says C. Raja, general secretary of the Malleswaram Dhobi Ghat Association. Though the sinking of borewells in the areas has “reduced” the level of water, the open well continues to provide 10,000 litres of water daily.

“What has helped is the connection of rainwater harvesting from neighbouring buildings in the area to the tank. There were proposals to close the well, but we firmly opposed it. When borewells fail, the well continues to give us water,” he said.

In a few places — particularly where groundwater levels are failing and Cauvery water connection has yet to be provided — open wells are turning into a viable option as the source of water. For instance, an apartment near Kaikondrahalli Kere had revived an open well in the property, which now provides nearly 1.4 lakh litres of water a day.