{"id":489,"date":"2017-08-08T11:00:40","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T11:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saheindia.in\/?p=489"},"modified":"2017-08-08T12:03:48","modified_gmt":"2017-08-08T12:03:48","slug":"community-events-drive-action-focus-water-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saheindia.in\/civic-responsibility\/water\/livethelakes\/community-events-drive-action-focus-water-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"How Community Events Drive Action – A Focus on Water Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"
With an idea originating from a TEDxHyderabad Salon on Civic Responsibility in 2016, a passionate group of volunteers, water experts and rainwater harvesting professionals embarked on a major drive to get 10K borewell recharge structures built in Hyderabad.<\/p>\n
While the city progresses forward in technology and development, we unfortunately are progressing backwards in creating sustainable resources for the future us and it is clearly evident in the increasing scarcity of water availability in many areas in the city at present. Statistics show that more than 10000 new bore-wells are drilled every year in the city in addition to the already existing over 25 lakh borewells; out of which 50 percent are either defunct or dried up. Alarmingly, we are also staring at the problem of bore-wells stopping to yield water completely in some years due to lack of proper storage of rainwater to be stored or be absorbed into the soil. The predominant topography of the city is sloping rocky terrain of grey and pink granites dotted with small hills of the Deccan Plateau region. As of 2016, the groundwater level was at 15.6 MBGL (meters below ground level), which is of very huge concern to be addressed.<\/p>\n
It is the need of the hour to restore and recharge the dried-up bore-wells through rainwater without further drilling, digging, breaking of walls, or construction. The community event, TEDxHyderabad Salon in 2016 paved way for the idea in conversation with \u2018Smaran\u2019, an NGO working for water and soil conservation.<\/strong> Simply put, the process involves channelizing rainwater hitting the rooftops through a four-inch pipe into the dwelling\u2019s sump through a filter or directly into the bore. The data from Central Groundwater Board reports that the average level of the groundwater table in Greater Hyderabad was anywhere between 10 meters and 20 metres; while in areas close to the Musi river it was around five metres, in places like Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills it was between 30 and 40 metres. So, all it requires is one rainy season to recharge the bores.<\/p>\n With statistics and plan in hand, the non-profit, Society for Advancement of Human Endeavour (SAHE), a community partner of the TEDxHyderabad events together<\/strong> with the NGO<\/strong> Smaran and the Hyderabad Software Exporters Association (HYSEA) designed the initiative ‘Save 10k Bores<\/strong>‘ with a focused aim to charge up the bore-wells in the city.<\/p>\n The detailed plans and resources were made available on SAHE’s website, with cost effective models for each of small homes, apartments, and gated communities. Small homes need only one plumber, four hours and Rs. 15000 to restore the defunct or dried up bore-wells as reported on the website to replenish and recharge their bores every rainy season.<\/p>\n