Hyderabad: One of the city’s oldest residential areas, Sri Venkateshwara Colony at Golnaka, Alwal, has groundwater available at 70 feet because of the residents’ policy on groundwater use.
The colony, with 200 residents in 31 houses, does not allow 6-inch borewells. Set up in 1956, the colony has 25 legal four-inch borewells. Many houses still have wells that also act like rain water harvesting pits and help replenish groundwater. The colony is located about 1 km from Alwal Cheruvu.
Residents welfare association president B. Shivananda said there are 11 colonies close to the lake. The groundwater level at Rajiv Weaker Sections Colony, Reddy Enclave, Prashanthnagar and Srinivasnagar is at 250-350 feet below the ground. At Venkateshwara Colony, water is available at 70 feet.
He said the groundwater table gets affected if six-inch borewells are drilled. The bigger borewells suck up four times more water than the four-inch ones. “A six-inch borewell can go beyond a 1,000 feet depth, while the four-inch bores go only up to 450-500 feet. A person using a six-inch borewell draws more water than the one using a smaller one,” Mr Shivananda said. The colony has no commercial establishment or apartment, and water usage is limited.
Association general secretary G. Venkateshwara Rao said, “The association is very active whenever a borewell is being dug. We check the permission granted by the mandal revenue officer. In case there is no inspection, we call the village revenue officer to inspect the area.” He said the colony has more than 15 rainwater harvesting pits and wells that act as pits too.
