Residents join hands with experts to build recharge wells to harvest water

Sekhar Raghavan, director of Rain Centre, said that residents are chipping in to build recharge wells on the roads. “The resident welfare associations have decided to harvest rainwater from the roads. Recharge wells have been constructed on the road – two in RA Puram (three more in the pipeline) and two in T Nagar. The runoff from the houses and road will fall into the well and enrich the ground water sources. But, we must be careful not to damage power cables or sewer or water pipelines,” he said. 

Dr R Chandrasekaran, retired professor from Madras Medical College (MMC), said that this was a pet project of the Mylapore MLA, R Nataraj, who had appealed to the residents to take up construction of recharge wells on the road. “These wells, which are 15 feet in depth and 3 feet in diameter, will increase water level and also drain stagnant water from roads. Our association — Raja Annamalai Puram Residents’ Association (RAPRA) — offered to fund two wells, one each in 4th Cross Street and 1st Main Road in RA Puram. 

The MLA got the requisite permissions from the Assistant Engineer, Greater Chennai Corporation, who indicated which would be the right spot to build a recharge well,” said the founder and president of RAPRA. 

The residents chose 4th Cross Street because there was no storm water drain on that road. “The recharge well on the side of the road will accommodate all the water on 1st Main Road, we drilled the well in the storm water drain itself,” added Dr Chandrasekaran.