Game of Thrones’ actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was in Bengaluru recently to film a documentary for an international agency. It features individuals who are working towards solving Bengaluru’s water problems. The video is an episode in a series focusing on finding solutions for the world’s environmental problems.
In Devanahalli, Coster-Waldau sees how a group of traditional well diggers or Mannu Vaddars is building a recharge well. These wells help direct water to shallow aquifers, which in turn helps improve groundwater levels. The project is coordinated by S Vishwanath of Biome Environmental Trust.
“The Mannu Vaddars have been digging wells for hundreds of years,” Vishwanath says. India uses more water than the USA and China combined, he notes, adding that rainwater harvesting and groundwater rejuvenation are crucial to the city’s water sustainability.
“Groundwater potential is 29,000 million litres, which can meet a town’s water requirements,” he points out. The team hopes to dig a million wells.
The shoot took one full day to complete and captured the team’s latest project in Devanahalli. They were commissioned to build recharge wells by the town municipal council. “Devanahalli town requires 4 million litres of water per day and these wells will supply one-fourth of that demand,” he said.
Vishwanath told Metrolife that recharge wells are already making a huge difference in the residential areas of Yelahanka, Vidyaranyapura, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, Malleswaram and Sarjapura.
In the episode, Coster-Waldau also meets noted lake conservationist Anand Malligavad of Malligavad Foundation and Swapnil Shrivastav of Uravu Labs. The latter makes drinking water through a technology that absorbs moisture from air. They currently make 4,000 litres of water a day at their Jakkur facility.