Abandoned well recharged; Paduvampalli panchayat can now save Rs 90,000 every two months

COIMBATORE: An abandoned open well at Rayarpalayam near Sulur has been recharged after nearly five decades through collaborative efforts. People no longer need to depend on two 1,000-foot-deep borewells, as the revived open well now provides sufficient water supply at just 100 feet.

The well has become a significant electricity saver for both the Paduvampalli panchayat panchayat administration and the farmers in the area.The open well is situated in the Rayarpalayam Rangasamuthiram lake. The lake is being desilted by Kousika Neerkarangal, an NGO, in collaboration with Pioneer Fertilizers which extended its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding. According to the NGO, the lake is among the 1,230 water bodies recharged through the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.Due to depleted groundwater in the locality, the open well had dried up and was subsequently used as a garbage disposal pit for almost three decades. Paduvampalli village had previously installed two 1,000-foot borewells to supply water to the public.Balakrishnan, secretary of the agriculture wing at Kousika Neerkarangal, said, “The lake has received water from the Athikadavu-Avinashi project. As a result, the well has been naturally recharged over the last eight months.

The 120-foot well maintains a minimum water level of 50 feet.”“Previously, the panchayat had installed two 7.5 HP pump sets that ran continuously to supply approximately 90,000 litre of water to around 1,500 people. The daily electricity consumption was approximately 264 units, costing the panchayat roughly Rs 1.2 lakh every two months. After desilting the well and installing new motor, starter, and pipelines connected to village tanks, the electricity bill has reduced by approximately Rs 30,000 every two months,” he added.According to Shanmugavadivel, a local farmer, the total dissolved solids (TDS) levels in the borewell were comparatively high and impacted crop yields. He said, “My well was also recharged because of the Athikadavu-Avinashi project. Earlier, the borewell water was tasteless and salty, resulting in lower crop yields. In the last six months, after using the well water, I have noticed an improvement in crop yields and crop quality.

The water department collected and tested samples, confirming that TDS levels in the borewell were higher than in the well.”The NGO will hand over the operations of the well to the panchayat on Wednesday for regular water supply to the village.