UT engineering dept to tap groundwater

Shruti Setia / TNN / Apr 23, 2006, 02:03 IST

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Engineering wing of the UT administration will soon bore tube wells at select sites to tackle the problem of unused groundwater.

CHANDIGARH: As the usage of water increases with the rising temperature, the water supply in many parts of the city has gone down.
However, some buildings, especially in the southern sectors, remain damp because the groundwater from shallow semi-confined aquifer is not being tapped.
Engineering wing of the UT administration will soon bore tube wells at select sites to tackle the problem of unused groundwater.
This will also help in saving drinking water, which is otherwise wasted when it is used for washing and watering plants.

The engineering department has made this plan on the basis of a research by Central Ground Water Board and Geology department of Panjab University.
According to the research, the average width of a semi-confined aquifer is 15m, which extends to a maximum depth of 30m.
Experts feel that the problem of waterlogging, broken roads and damp buildings in southern sectors is getting severe by the day because of this shallow water. If this water remains unutilised, it will soon affect construction work, they feel.

The researchers have recommended that construction of wells be made mandatory for all housing complexes and societies, government buildings, schools and community centres in order to use the water available just below ground level.
Though this water may be unfit for bathing and drinking purposes, it can be useful for flushing, washing, gardening and other non-domestic uses.
As per their plan, a battery of three to four wells would be drilled about 10m apart from each other in a triangle and tube wells would be constructed, tapping the 10m bottom part.
These wells would then be connected and the water pumped out by using a common centrifugal pump. The engineering department also feels that there is a need for separate storage tanks on rooftops.
The experts feel that deeper confined aquifer, below 90m, is being extensively exploited and this requires urgent attention.
There is a need to recharge it by utilising rain water and monsoon runoff which otherwise floods roads.

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