All is *well*. We are monsoon-ready!

A brief documentation of my first visit to an apartment complex in Harlur Road, to understand recharge wells with the help of a well-digger: 

“There are about 2000 flats and 40 recharge wells, that store rainwater collected from the terraces of all the towers in this apartment complex!” says Bullet Ravi, a well digger at an apartment complex in Harlur Road. “And all the recharge wells have water!” he says, gleaming with pride.

Photograph of an apartment in Harlur Road

Ravi escorts me into the property from the entrance and he pauses briefly pointing towards the direction of Kasanavahalli lake, located just a few meters away from the apartment complex. For a first timer, it’s hard to notice this huge lake as it is concealed by the trees in the park that borders the perimeter of the apartment. The park not only has trees and a lawn but also has many recharge wells! As we step into the park, we examine three different recharge wells, located a few meters away from each other– all of which have 4 feet diameter but varying depths of 12 ft, 20 ft and 30 ft. Most of the wells have water at depths of 6ft to 10ft below ground level.

Recharge Wells

Ravi passes on bits of information as I jot down the details of these wells. He says these wells are interconnected by pipes allowing surplus water from one well to easily flow to adjacent wells. Although, some of the pipes are still being installed most of the recharge wells are interconnected.  

Installing pipes to connect recharge wells

Standing beside a recharge well, all that I had to do was to look up at the skies to picture the journey a raindrop would take: falling from the sky, to the roof of the apartment towers, flowing through a system of pipes into the basement and finally to the network of recharge wells that lie beneath my feet. 

Journey of a raindrop

I clicked a few more pictures and thanked Ravi for his patience and his work in making this apartment monsoon-ready!

- Jeevitha Balakrishnan