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Note: Later in the year we had occasions to meet with H.K and discuss his proposal
in more detail. The following paper is our assessment of it at the time.
*Regarding H.K’s proposal for a water conservation and distribution
system for the city of Auroville.
“This proposal rests on a premise which, in and by itself, is valid and attractive: it is
that, given Auroville’s geographical situation on the one hand, and the increasing
risks of contamination of the deep underground water tables through pollution or
saline intrusion on the other hand, the ideal solution for Auroville in future would be
to gain control of the higher aquifer which lies directly under its territory and use it
as its permanent water storage.
To achieve this aim, the following means and methods are proposed:
- To percolate into the higher aquifer basically all the rain-water, of which the
yearly average recorded fall on the Auroville area is more than sufficient to ensure
the welfare of a city of 50,000 residents.
- To collect the run-offs into reservoirs strategically placed in natural gullies on the
outer edge of Auroville’s territory.
- To create a main reservoir, properly sealed, of about 1.5 million cubic metres
capacity, the overflow of which will, through a filtering plant, constitute the main
feeder to the higher aquifer.
- To connect all the side reservoirs to the main one by means of solar pumps in
order to keep the main reservoir filled throughout the year.
The purpose of this proposal is to guarantee a self-generating and self-sustaining,
independent and safe water storage for Auroville.
However, on close scrutiny, this proposal turns out to be more of a gamble, with
extremely high stakes.
To begin with, much of its validity is based on assumptions, not on knowledge of
verified facts. (There has so far been no feasibility study made)
- Assumption No 1: The proposal states that the higher aquifer runs towards the
sea on a gentle incline, moving away from Auroville within a period of 1 to 5 years.
But this is no way an ascertained fact.
- Assumption No 2: The proposal states that the best strategic location for the main
reservoir is at the highest point of the Auroville plateau, that is, at a height of 52
metres above sea-level, near the Matrimandir, exactly at the geographical centre of
the Auroville territory – and therefore half-way closer to the seaside -, the rationale
here being that the percolation plant will infiltrate the entire underground aquifer,
even though this aquifer is supposed to me flowing down towards the sea. The
water thus infiltrated would then have to move upstream and inland in order to
replenish the aquifer under the western part of Auroville.
There has been no study or enquiry as to other and perhaps better suited locations
upstream for this main reservoir.
- Assumption No 3: In a worst case situation, the proposal states that the entire
amount of water necessary to replenish the higher aquifer for one full year could be