I did read this(picked from one of the threads here), we have done little modification of making it in large steps to take care or soil collapse (if any). We could add stone pitching as and where required.
Hi Hegde,
Discussed with a few borewell diggers at my place. Kollegala.
For first 300 ft the digging rate is Rs 65 / ft for 6.5 inch bore. Next 300 ft Rs 75/ft.
Even a rupee or two less is not going to offset you. But the catch is in the casing. 
Rs 300/ft for an approx 1.8mm thickness casing, Collar Rs 100 and Welding Rs 150 per joint. This where one gets ripped off. The trick here is they will tell all sort of things and add a length or two extra (20 ft one length) Not much cost difference between iron or pvc !!
Any idea how one goes in for casing. Some say you need to go all the way till you find hard rock. some say on top 40 ft would be sufficient. Gurus can any one help here.
Now the pump part.
Rs 1800 per length for 2 inch GI pipe (20 ft) Rs 180 to 200 per collar. 30 Rs per end threading. So apprx this translated to Rs 100 to 120 / ft.
Now a 10 stage 7.5 HP Texmo / Mecco / Suguna etc pump Rs 26,000 to 28,000. Add the switch panels at Rs 3000. And 3 phase cable for the pump Rs 50 to 80 / meter. Labor for the guy who sends this pump down Rs 3000 fixed.
Electricity part Rs 7000 for 7.5 HP and if you go for a small shed or a pump house add another 25 K.
All in all a borewell for 500 ft depth will rip you off from 1 to 1.5 lakhs.
Am I missing any thing here. Can any one bring it out.
Regards
Murali
Dear Hegde,
Though you have not given exact location of your land where it is situated, it situated very close not more than 50 meters hight and 100km distance from sea level.
You Kumata taluk people will get almost 3000 mm rain fall in you year.
Kumata is close to sea and is situated within 5 meters from sea level.
Havce you checked any farmer digged bore well beyond 150 feet depth in your area?
Kumata will get 3000 mm rainfall in a year.
Kumata is situated between sea and Western ghats and has got opportunity to get plenty of water for 8 months in year, Aghanashini is live river in your taluk.
Having all these advantages, most farmers in your area are still using local knowledge for harvesting water for agriculture.
Innovative farmers are not only using free water for agriculture, but using free flowing water for production of electricity too.
All forum members are trying your problem with their experience they had in different place than your land. Do you have any suggestion from any member of this forum who is from your taluk, even from district? All of suggesting us not very well known of ground reality of your farmland and the advantages of the nature around your land.
Having all the above advantages, will you consider for digging bore well depth of 500 feet? You know the cost of Rs.100/- for only digging for feet.
Have you heard of rainwater harvesting/bund improving/using water to produce electricity?
If you want more than call me.
Hi Murali,
That is a comprehensive list, covering all aspects. Thanks for the detailed information.
Do we have anything similar for ponds with stone pitching, my goal is to have minimum investment for these.
thanks again,
gg
Hi Swamy, i am sending you the google co-ordinates in a while.
True
I have never seen anyone with that deep bore well, in fact if we have to dig the borewell most farmers treat this a dry land and cultivate cashew or similar crops.
I too have quite good elevation that can be used to generate electricity, that should be the agenda for next year. Have been reading about pico hydro and also ram pumps ( though it might not be useful for me).
Certainly, this gives us different view to the same problem. I might have not considered rubber if these were not suggested.
Initially when i was recommended by local guy that we should go for open well and then cement casing it worked out to more than a lakh. Say 20 ft well, 16 ft dia with 20 rings ( 1 ft ring costing 6 k). With that knowledge bore well was a viable option.
Definitely, but then if i talk about rainwater harvesting in a place with 3000 mm rainfall, people would laugh at me and say, think of saving your land from rainwater and soil erosion than harvesting rain. I am sure you are aware that it rains heavily in rainy season and whole place would be flooded with water and even in my farm there would abundant water at (above) ground level till Jan. Problem would start only after mid feb, soil does not hold water unlike many places and we cant store rainwater for later use. So, now, even govt have scheme for rainwater harvesting, i think raising the water table is the answer.
Sure thing.
Hello All
Can anyone guide me with the costs of digging a farm pond of size 100ft X 100ft X 20 ft ? The pond might have to be lined with liner as soil is porus
Shiv
It is very simple as how you do it either through labour or Bakaloader? (JCB)
What will you do with the soil removed from pond? if wanted to shift it for some other place again tractors required.
Before doing it go and check with your Agriculture officer for any assistance from government for doing it.
Local people can guide you with their experience for better option.
For digging in plain area and moving the mud to the nearest place.Based on the following inputs you can do the math.
Digging approx 100 cubic ft - 10,000
Tractor approx 100 cft - 03000
Misc - 01500
Thanks to those who replied. The plan is to use a JCB for digging and to use the mud from that pond to build a house. There is currently a scheme for providing farm ponds in Andhra, but as you know due to budget constraints only a small portion of them could be constructed.
Any ideas on pond liner costs?
Shiv
Does anyone know what breeds of fish can be kept in a small pond (42’X42’X10’)? Not for commercial purpose but to keep it clean and probably as pets? I want a variety that breeds well enough to take care of natural losses to their numbers from predators.
Also, how can I use a pump to get water out from the pond while I keep the fishes? I don’t want the fishes to become unintended manure! 
Hi Please check goverment subsidy .
In maharshtra goverment gives aprox 20 to 25 thousand for this size of pond for watershed creation (Figures are aproximate, red it when I last visited a office for soil testing)
Thanks
Just use a mesh, simple nylon one, this will act as general filter.
Hi All,
See the picture first and then read.
This open well was constructed about 100 years back.
The stones used for well were purchased at 10 paise for each stone, now each stone is valued at Rs.7.
The durability is for centuries if we keep it as it is or other wise, make use of same stone for any other purpose.
Well can be used as Tank for storing water from other sources also for time being.
Well can also used to grow any animals like fish, tortoise etc.
This is an evidence for olden architecture which is still sustainable against latest technology.
People used to offer pooja to various gods including Nagara in picture in order to protect them with their well with full of water.
The Owner incurred huge amounts during that time, but what is the value now? if wanted to think in view of economics.
Can any other technology is sustainable like this?
Hi,
Well’s are supposed to have water, I dont see any there
No offences meant to any one.
Regards
Murali
Until the recent past it was given sufficient water to whom worshiped it, but now it is dried when people started poisoning to soil and its water source, it is the result of human crime on the nature which is essential to full fill human hunger.
What you will do to the nature in result you get same from the nature for what you have done to nature.
Hi Swamy,
You are right. I think the borewells are the real culprit. Near my farm also, I have seen huge “Kapile” Wells, all gone dry. But you are right about the efforts. Those wells took huge efforts to build. In earlier days the skills were held in some families, I was told the whole of the family will live there doing the job. Now to get a well done, its very very expensive.
Regards
Murali
I feel the same wells which have gone dry will hold key for future. These wells are ready made systems for rain water harvesting. Instead of diverting water to tanks where it gets evaporated due to large surface area, if same can be delivered to wells, water table will raise much faster. Hope our government has common sense to utilize these wells.
For me borewells are not the culprit. It is only the effect. What is the cause for this effect? Personally I think cause is water guzzling chemical farming, also known as Green Revolution. This is only my personal opinion.
Regards,
Ramesh