Park your car over your open well
Chennai residents are finding innovative ways to maintain open wells for groundwater recharge by installing structural slabs over them, allowing the space to be used for car parking. Experts suggest that with proper design and ventilation, these wells can effectively collect rainwater without sacrificing valuable urban space.
Why it matters
This practice offers a practical, space-efficient solution for urban water conservation and groundwater management in densely populated cities.
For many apartment residents in Chennai, an open well may sound like something from another time — a structure with a parapet wall, a pulley and a bucket. With space at a premium, keeping one may seem impractical. But an open well does not necessarily mean giving up a parking spot or valuable open space. With the right design, it can be built below ground, allowing vehicles to pass over it while the well continues to collect rainwater and recharge groundwater.
This is what N. Ramshankar, an executive member of The Rain Centre, has done at the Rain Centre in Adyar. An old open well that once had only about two feet of water now holds around 16 feet after rooftop rainwater was directed into it with minimal filtration.
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