Green Tech brings a defunct borewell back to life

At a time when authorities are directing the public to fill up unused borewells, quarries and wells, an ordinary teacher in Kanhangad is showing the way to save thousands of litres of water by recharging such defunct water sources.

 When the borewell drilled in his land in 2006 went dry in early 2012, Kunhikkannan Master did not bother digging another one.  Instead, he constructed a rainwater harvesting tank around the borewell to collect the rainwater from his terrace.

Kunhikkannan Master who has interests in farming and serves as the district secretary of the Sastra Sahitya Parishat in the district says he has saved around 55,000 litres by recharging the borewell.

“I spent only Rs 1.25 lakh for the 7 metre deep and 3.20 wide tank around the borewell which refills the borewell. This refilling system has revived the bore well. I also connected the pipeline from terrace to the well near my home,” Kunhikannan said.

The water from his terrace reaches the well and the tank.

He has also set example by conserving water in the small ditch formed after mining of laterite stone at his land. He had also digged  3 ponds in his place spending Rs 30,000 each.

 “There are hundreds of unused quarries and borewells across the district which can be used to conserve rainwater. Such a strategy can solve the drinking water woes and help us avail water for agricultural activities in the district,” he said.

 According meteorological data available the district rainfall had fallen at least 33 per cent in the recent past.

The method followed by Kunhikannan is worth emulating as it helps retain earth’s moisture content at a time when the ground water level in the district is falling,says Jayaprakash, Executive Engineer, Kerala Water Authority.

 Kunhikannan Master has successfully cultivated a number of medicinal plants and a special variety of banana brought from Nepal, in his 25 cent plot. A environmentalist to the core he has named his house after a flower “Lilly”.

His wife Renuka, sons Mithuraj and Ruthuraj also help him in agricultural activities.