In a rare initiative, alumni of National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NIT-K) in Dakshina Kannada have funded a groundwater recharging project by harvesting roof-top rainwater.
The ₹20-lakh project, which is in place now on campus of NIT-K at Surathkal, has been financed by the alumni of the 1994 batch.
It harvests roof water from 4,270 sq m covering three buildings, the Trishul boys hostel and two commercial complexes housing Canara Bank and the State Bank of India.
Rainwater from these roofs has been diverted to an artificial percolation or recharge well constructed nearby.
“The well was able to store 12 lakh litres of harvested rainwater this June and July,” Assistant Professor of the Department of Water Resources and Ocean Engineering at the institute Pruthviraj Umesh told The Hindu.
The alumni pledged their support to the project during their silver jubilee meet in 2019. The institute has named the project as Trishul Jal Sanchayan.
Saplings
The recharge well is surrounded by green foliage where 415 saplings of local fruit-bearing varieties have been planted. “This ambience emanates a sense of peace and calmness in the area,” the Assistant Professor and co-ordinator of the project said.
The garden or green foliage surrounding the well has seating arrangements where 11 laterite stone benches have been built. They have been named after 11 old students of the 1994 batch who have passed away.
“This project is intended to meet the daily water requirement of Trishul hostel accommodating 324 students throughout the year along with the two commercial complexes housing the bank branches. The percolation well is recharging the groundwater table on the campus and nearby areas to reduce the effect of salt water intrusion,” he said.
The project, which was formally dedicated two days ago, had taken off a year ago. It is one of the projects taken up by the institute to address its water needs.
