Catch Water October – November 2002
Onikeri village, Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka
By using abundantly available local materials like bamboo and areca nut (supari) husk, farmers of Onikeri village, Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka, has developed a simple, low cost method to replenish the water tables. A one-meter long bamboo stem is cut longitudinally and all septas are removed. Both the halves when kept together look like a pipe, which is inserted in the infiltration pit of two feet by two feet measurement. The cavity of the pit is filled with one layer of areca husk topped with a layer of soil. Only the husk needs to be refilled every year. Significantly, these structures have been installed in 34 houses with community participation, covering an area of 100 acres. Sound ecological engineering, indeed! (Information by Shree Padre, a journalist)
source: http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/Rural/Onikeri-rooftop.htm