Bengaluru: The city’s model Yediyur ward is attempting another first that could see it conserve rain water and improve area groundwater. While city roads are laid with tar or concrete that do not allow water to seep through to the soil below, Yediyur is experimenting with paver blocks that absorb rain water and rapidly recharge the groundwater.
As a pilot, the blocks have been used to lay the 50m 1st main road in Shastri Nagar. “The paver blocks absorb the rain water falling on them and a single rainy season could improve the water table by over 40 feet,” explained area corporator Poornima Ramesh.
“After much discussion with experts and residents, we have laid the 1st main road in Shastri Nagar with paver blocks on a trial basis. The process will be replicated in phases in other areas as well,” she said.
Pointing out that the water table in many parts of the city had fallen from 600 to 1000 feet due to over-exploitation of groundwater and poor recharge of the table was to blame.
These paver blocks are very durable, she said for concrete roads last upto four years and tar roads around two, paver blocks last for 20 years and are cheap to lay.
“We have used 80 mm colorful paver blocks that can bear upto 200 tonnes. They can be removed for repair works and then re-laid,” she added.
