In just one month, BWSSB digs 986 recharge pits

Bengaluru: To ensure better water percolation during the monsoons, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), over the last month, has dug up close to 986 recharge pits across the city. 

The water crisis the city witnessed this summer is predominantly due to the failure of borewells and recharge pits play a crucial role in improving groundwater levels, BWSSB Chairman Ramprasat Manohar V said. 

“The crisis was not due to the lack of Cauvery water but due to the dried-up borewells. Even houses that have rainwater harvesting systems have not installed recharge pits. As a result of this, the groundwater levels have plummeted leaving the borewells dry. There is a need to improve the groundwater levels and recharge pits play a crucial role in this,” Manohar said.

Manohar had earlier directed the officials to dig up recharge pits close to every public borewell in the city. 

That apart, BWSSB is also looking forward to taking up large-scale community rainwater harvesting projects to hold the runoff water and ensure percolation. The BWSSB, at present, is looking at 74 such proposals and the projects are set to be launched soon.