Rainwater harvesting in Bangalore: Who are the real beneficiaries?

Author: K P Vidyashankar I have used a pop up filter (rainy type) to filter rain water and inject it into a open well. The water in the open well sometimes stinks and it is not clear where the contamination has occurred because all wells in the area are smelling. In our area water is available at about 7 feet depth. Obviously rooftops have bird droppings as a major source of infection. Now by pouring the filtered water into the open well -

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13 May 2012, 8:51 am

A) Will the ground water really be recharged? There are about 100 houses in the area and most have rain water harvesting (RWH). My fear is that the well will overflow and water again goes to the storm drains

B) Will the ground water in aquifers get infected? Then why are we doing this RWH (Lot of money, I have also spent like others).

C) Should not the government use satellite data like in Rajasthan to find out which areas are priority and which are not. At a distance of about half a km from my house, water is available at a depth of 2 feet.

D) I feel that only bore well owners (who sell water for profit and not for self use) are the real beneficiaries. We are all doing all this for these peoples' benefit.

E) Rain water is full of traffic pollutants and we are sending them directly into the wells. No chlorination will help.

F) Many government homes in our area have not yet put RWH. One rule for govt and one for others? They should cut sanitary and water supply to such houses. Let the IAS, KAS and other government brass install this stuff from their own pockets, the way we do.

G) Even HDKs house has no RWH. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will not dare cut supply. I don't know about other politicos but they are also the first defaulters. Let the BWSSB put the names of big defaulters and then government quarters where RWH is not done.

Urban Water