Water solution for the summer
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India
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By Bhagwat
Author: Rashmi Menon Date: 11 May २००८
15,000 wells in the city could be used in rainwater harvesting, says Pune prof
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| A rain water harvesting well in Valneshwar and the inlet dug to pump out the well water Pics courtesy/ Sunil Bhide |
Four years ago, a village in Ratnagiri district built a rainwater harvesting tank into its well. Valneshwar, a tourist destination, used to face acute water shortage in the summers. Now, they can use water from the tank during summers, the peak tourist season. The idea to do this was Dr Chandrashekhar Gadgil’s, ex-professor, College of Engineering, Pune, a member of a Ram Chandra Dattatreya Pratishathan trust, which is into social work in villages.
He thought of using the large upper space in the well as it lies unused because the water level never reaches till that height. So, with the help of his friend Ravindra Nene, a Pune-based architect and structural consultant, nearly 2/3 portion within the well — 30 to 40 feet — was reserved for the RWH tank, in addition to using the top portion of the well by building a 10 to 12 feet high enclosure. “The tank can hold 70,000 litres of water and the cost comes to Re 1 per litre. Hence, it’s very cost effective and space saving,” says Nene.
Explaining further, Nene says that a small, square inlet was built outside the well to pump the water. “During the monsoon, the water level in the wells reaches 30 to 40 feet from the ground level. However, from April to June, the water level is abysmal; nearly zero,” says Nene, who used concrete to build the tank to prevent leakage. Apart from this, Nene also helped build a two lakh litre capacity RWH tank with 30 feet diameter, above the well.
Dr Ajit Gokhale, a city-based consultant on RWH, says the same technique can be replicated in Mumbai. However, the tank will have to be built outside the well. He says there are about 12 to 15,000 wells in Mumbai. “Most are 10 to 15 feet deep. So there is no space to make a RWH tank within the well.
But, depending on soil conditions, you can build the RWH tank above the wells,” says Gokhale. Giving another example, Gokhale points out that a well in Vallabhai Patel road in Breach Candy is about 40 feet deep and the water doesn’t come above 15 feet from the bottom. “So the rest of 25 feet space which lies wasted, can be utilised by making a RWH tank within,” says Gokhale. He believes that several old wells, which are no more in use, can be used for storage of rainwater especially since the city is so congested. The buildings around can make arrangements to see to it that the water percolates in the well’s storage tank.
Nene is planning to go around Pune explaining to people the feasibility of this project. He is also looking at putting up windmills near wells with RWH tank, to pump water from the well or tank and plans to hold demos by next month.
He thought of using the large upper space in the well as it lies unused because the water level never reaches till that height. So, with the help of his friend Ravindra Nene, a Pune-based architect and structural consultant, nearly 2/3 portion within the well — 30 to 40 feet — was reserved for the RWH tank, in addition to using the top portion of the well by building a 10 to 12 feet high enclosure. “The tank can hold 70,000 litres of water and the cost comes to Re 1 per litre. Hence, it’s very cost effective and space saving,” says Nene.
Explaining further, Nene says that a small, square inlet was built outside the well to pump the water. “During the monsoon, the water level in the wells reaches 30 to 40 feet from the ground level. However, from April to June, the water level is abysmal; nearly zero,” says Nene, who used concrete to build the tank to prevent leakage. Apart from this, Nene also helped build a two lakh litre capacity RWH tank with 30 feet diameter, above the well.
Dr Ajit Gokhale, a city-based consultant on RWH, says the same technique can be replicated in Mumbai. However, the tank will have to be built outside the well. He says there are about 12 to 15,000 wells in Mumbai. “Most are 10 to 15 feet deep. So there is no space to make a RWH tank within the well.
But, depending on soil conditions, you can build the RWH tank above the wells,” says Gokhale. Giving another example, Gokhale points out that a well in Vallabhai Patel road in Breach Candy is about 40 feet deep and the water doesn’t come above 15 feet from the bottom. “So the rest of 25 feet space which lies wasted, can be utilised by making a RWH tank within,” says Gokhale. He believes that several old wells, which are no more in use, can be used for storage of rainwater especially since the city is so congested. The buildings around can make arrangements to see to it that the water percolates in the well’s storage tank.
Nene is planning to go around Pune explaining to people the feasibility of this project. He is also looking at putting up windmills near wells with RWH tank, to pump water from the well or tank and plans to hold demos by next month.
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