Every day, a huge amount of usable water goes down the drain in Indian homes. However, Gouri Shankar, founder of Vasudha Aqua, saw this not as a loss, but as an opportunity to solve a problem.
His compact greywater recycling system can purify water coming from showers, sinks, kitchen basins, and washing machines in just a few minutes. Furthermore, the process does not require the use of chemicals or complex maintenance.
The recovered reusable water can be directed to needs unrelated to drinking. This allows households to save water resources and reduce the strain on valuable freshwater reserves.
In a country facing growing water scarcity, such inventions serve as a reminder that the solution to the problem may lie right in the home.
In the Sampanghiram Nagar area of Bengaluru, near a small temple alley, there is a round stone well covered by a metal grate. Several years ago, most residents simply walked past this spot, and some tried to avoid it. The surface of the well was covered with plastic waste, and the bottom had accumulated broken concrete and silt. Tree branches hung over the opening, dropping leaves and debris into the water. The stone walls were cracked in places, and vegetation was growing through gaps widened by years of neglect.
For many local residents, the well long ceased to be seen as a water source and turned into a dump. However, today this same well attracts people daily. Residents come with metal pots and plastic buckets to fill an upper reservoir connected to public taps. Families use this water for daily needs throughout the day, and small local eateries use it for cleaning. On days when municipal water supply is unstable, the well becomes a reliable resource.
Even during hot periods, the well continued to retain water. For a city where many families now plan their day based on tanker schedules, dry borewell operations, and unpredictable water supply, this change is significant. The return of a forgotten well to a useful state may seem like a minor local story, but in Bengaluru, it points to a broader potential: old water systems can help a growing city cope with the current water crisis.
The well in Sampanghiram Nagar is an example of broader efforts across Bengaluru. Resident welfare associations, civic groups, and environmental organizations are working to restore traditional wells that have gradually disappeared from collective memory amid the spread of borewells and piped water systems.
Over decades, Bengaluru's water supply history has slowly moved underground. As the city grew, borewells began to replace open wells in homes, schools, residential complexes, and public areas. What was once visible to everyone—a well in the yard, near a temple, or in a neighborhood—gradually disappeared behind pipes, pumps, and motors.
Deep drilling provided access to groundwater far beneath the surface, which seemed convenient. But it changed people's understanding of water. With an open well, the water level is visible: after a good rain, people see it rise, and in dry months, they see it fall. The well reminds the neighborhood that groundwater depends on rain, soil, and replenishment. A borewell does the opposite: it hides the water level deep underground. Water can be pumped for years without seeing how much is left, and the warning comes late, often only when the motor starts drawing air instead of water, by which time the crisis has reached people's homes.
Open wells work with a shallower layer of groundwater. When rainwater seeps into the soil and filters down, it helps replenish this layer over time. Therefore, a functioning open well can show the neighborhood what is happening beneath its feet. When such wells are cleaned, repaired, protected from sewage runoff, and connected to rainwater harvesting systems, they become useful again. They can serve as local sources during shortages and help replenish groundwater in the area.
The restoration of the well in Sampanghiram Nagar, completed in 2022, began with a complex cleaning operation. This work was carried out by the environmental non-profit organization SayTrees Environmental Trust, based in Bengaluru and founded in 2007 by Kapil Sharma and Lieutenant Colonel Deokant Payasi. The project was implemented with support from CSR corporate funding and is maintained through a partnership between SayTrees, local residents, and municipal authorities to ensure the well's cleanliness and functionality.
The community well is seven feet wide and forty feet deep. By the time restoration work began, it had accumulated years of garbage, construction debris, silt, and organic waste. First, the water had to be completely pumped out using motors before workers could reach the bottom. Early stage photos demonstrate the extent of neglect: trash was pressed against the stone walls, weeds grew through cracks, and dark, contaminated water mixed with floating debris stood inside. The cleaning was slow, physical labor. Workers used manual labor and cranes to remove layers of grime nearly forty feet underground. Extracted silt and garbage were piled up nearby for several days to dry, and then tractors transported them for disposal. The well structure also required attention: the stone walls needed repair. The old grate cover allowed leaves and trash from the tree canopy to constantly fall inside. The restoration team lifted the cover and added an inclined canopy to prevent fresh waste from accumulating in the water. After this, the water was treated with aluminum, potassium permanganate, and calcium before the well was reconnected for public use.
Today, the restored well has a capacity of over 43,000 liters. According to the project, more than 1,000 liters are used daily through the public tap. For local residents, this change is felt not so much in numbers as in daily relief. Srinivas, a resident who has lived in the area for 40 years and owns a shop, noted that since they do not receive regular municipal water supply, the community relies heavily on local water sources. He emphasized that the recent cleaning and restoration of the well have brought huge benefits, improving water accessibility for residents and local businesses, including hotels and eateries.
Across Bengaluru, tankers have become part of daily life. In many areas, summer brings a familiar routine: waiting for tanker deliveries, carefully storing water, and worrying about the next arrival. Residential complexes often spend hundreds of thousands of rupees monthly on purchasing water delivered from suburban and rural areas around the city. This water also harms places outside the city, as tankers heavily depend on groundwater extraction in villages surrounding Bengaluru, shifting water stress from urban consumers to rural aquifers. Diesel transport adds another environmental cost.
Restored open wells support the city's formal water supply system, reducing the load on it. Several restored wells across Bengaluru are used for gardening, construction work, cleaning, and filtered domestic use during shortages. Each functioning well provides the neighborhood with another local source, especially during peak summer months. This shift is practical, but it is also emotional. A volunteer involved in urban well restoration projects notes that 'tanker water shapes consumption mindset. Water arrives as a commodity. People don't see where it comes from.' The open well restores this connection: residents can see the water level, notice changes after rain, and understand the importance of replenishment.
Work around open wells is also becoming part of a larger response to climate change. SayTrees is expanding water conservation programs across India through the restoration of lakes and the revival of traditional water systems. To date, the organization has restored over 50 lakes and water bodies and revived more than 30 traditional open wells, creating a total water storage capacity of over 5 billion liters. For Bengaluru, this is critically important, as the city faces two types of water stress simultaneously: flooding during heavy rains and water scarcity in the summer. Traditional systems can help with both: a restored well can hold water, aid in replenishment, reduce surface runoff, and help the soil retain moisture.
