The water crisis in Bengaluru has reached such a level that people are desperately looking for any possible source of water. Mercifully rejuvenated open wells have helped meet water demand at several places in Bengaluru. It is learnt that the rejuvenated wells provide close to one lakh litres of water a day. The wells were rejuvenated by desilting and cleaning since many of them had turned into garbage dump spots. This success story has proven that traditional open wells are a reliable water source in times of crisis. In Goa in the past, wells have been a common feature in most of the houses. In some places residents of a ward or village built community wells which were bigger and deeper. Community well provided water to several houses. With the advent of piped water supplied by the government many residents stopped using well water altogether. Some of the wells that still exist have become contaminated due to seepage of sewage water because of disuse. Various schemes have been launched by the Goa Government to protect the ground water resources and also to motivate use of well water. The scheme provides subsidies for repairs and renovation of existing wells in the state by individuals/groups or farmers. Goans homes having wells need to take advantage of these schemes. Rejuvenating the wells can help the state tide over any probable water crisis in future.
