Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to instal injection borewells in all residential properties by next summer to beat acute water crisis. It has already started fixing systems at roadside locations prone to waterlogging.
Officials said injection borewells, costing between Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000 each, will be dug to 1/3 of the actual depth of the borewell constructions in the vicinity. The proposal aims at 100 per cent rainwater conservation.
Highly placed sources in the corporation said a group of engineers accompanied by groundwater department officials will visit target locations to set up injection borewells since the water table varies in different areas.
The corporation will first conduct a meeting with residential welfare associations, colony welfare associations and apartment owners and explain to them the benefits of installing injection borewells. Emphasis will be laid on apartments for they draw water from single borewells and because it will prove cost-effective for owners.
The corporation will construct a mechanism wherein the rainwater collected on the roof will be routed to the injection borewell that will recharge the groundwater. Corporation officials will help citizens in setting up the mechanism, however, residents will have to bear the cost of the injection borewell or dry well.
A senior GHMC official on condition of anonymity said although rainwater harvesting pits were made mandatory, they haven't yielded good results because property owners have been not maintaining them. He said harvesting pits require about Rs 35,000 for construction and need regular maintenance for best results.
Unlike harvesting pits, injection borewells require only minimal maintenance. He said the corporation will prioritise installing injection borewells in all major gated residential communities first. Any further delay in the installation will cause a rise in the likelihood and magnitude of the water crisis in the coming year as surface water is not enough to serve the drinking water needs of the city, he added.
The official said recharging groundwater through injection borewells at Rs 50,000 is a better alternative to spending Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh annually on water tankers.
A proposal is in the pipeline to make injection borewells mandatory for all residential properties to be constructed on 500 square yards or more. This decision was taken after several brainstorming sessions with water conservation experts. Further, in the future, occupancy certificates will be issued only for properties with injection borewells, going by this process.
- The corporation hasidentified residential areas to construct injection borewells to recharge groundwater levels, which have depleted by over 1,500ft
- The civic body will focus on the western part of the city, especially areas like Serilingampally, Bachupally, Manikonda, Patancheru and Puppalguda, where groundwater levels have depleted by over 2000 feet. Emphasis will be laid on Mega Hills across the 100-feet road.
- The corporation has developed a unique mechanism to filter the rainwater flowing into injection borewells so only pure water is sent to the ground.
- Injection borewells to become mandatory to beat the water crisis in the city.
- Gated communities and apartments will be targeted first.
- Officials opine that recharging groundwater through injection borewells at Rs 50,000 is a better alternative to spending Rs 5 lakh-Rs 10 lakh annually on water tankers.
Emphasis will be laid on apartments for they draw water from single borewells and because it will prove cost-effective for owners.Water Board official
