Team-BHP - The water crisis in Bangalore

This is not specific to Bangalore. Even Pune is on a similar route. Concretization of roads doesn't let water percolate into the ground. It flows away into the nearest drain and out into the larger water body. Adding to it, trees are being cut at an alarming rate like it's nobody's business. All these things are leading to water wastage and the subsequent shortage.

I am not sure how is the government giving additional permission to construct more building and flats, each more taller than the other, when there is not enough water to even provide for the existing places. Water conservation activities from the government are just a hogwash for e.g. we have a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in our society which is not even functional but the corporation has given a completion certificate to the builder. Adding to it, the STP is of under capacity than what it should be for a society of our size. Since, "as per records" we have an STP, on paper we get only half of what we should ideally get and in reality what we get is even lower than that on paper.

Its high time the government pulled up their socks and put in some really stringent measures to stop this nonsense. Water meters are the first step so that people pay as they use. Anything and everything that we use, is paid for too according to our usage except for air and water. Its high time water also is brought under this umbrella.

The next would be mass tree plantation. I have always wondered why cant the highway medians and sides be used for planting trees? They would provide adequate shade and in the night time, block the menacing high beams as well. It would give a lot more benefits apart from these two.

Thirdly capacity of dams also need to be increased since the population has increased but the capacity has remained the same. The existing water bodies are currently being squeezed to fulfill the water requirements of the cities which might not be a consistent approach to go with.

Finally, heavy water conservation efforts need to be employed at the earliest like those being done in Marathwada region in Maharashtra. The places which have been under drought for many years are now almost tanker free. Some links on the same

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/53426023.cms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai...mMLTfSz8I.html

http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai...nKXjtjW0J.html

http://www.pressreader.com/india/the...81801398859125

This is going to be every major city's story in the coming years. Water conservation is absolutely essential but the alarming rate at which population is growing this will definitely not be sufficient.

The best solution I see is to turn to the seas and oceans we are surrounded with. The Governments needs to invest in large RO & treatment plants which will help control the water problem. Agreed that RO systems are neither cheap to install nor to maintain but what other choice do we have?

With this we also need to ensure that the current water wasted is treated and recycled for non drinking purposes. This will also ensure that potable water isn't used for things where an alternative can be used.

The situation is grim in Bangalore. There are areas which get supplied by Cauvery water only in a fortnight. Many areas are not supplied by Cauvery line and are solely dependent on Bore-well and Water tankers.

Coming to bore wells, a decade ago, my neighbor had hit water @ 300 odd feet. Last month a bore well was sunk which hit water @ 700 feet! That's how low the under table water has sunk! This is alarming as well as scary.The borewell tanker suppliers sink borewell to 1000+ feet. Where is the city heading to!? Indiscriminate sinking of bore wells with hardly any recharge initiatives for the under table water has resulted in the current situation .

Every household should take initiative to recharge the ground water. A house was build behind my home and the owner just dug a pit and put some concrete rings to show to the authorities that he has done rain water harvesting. This is a sorry state of affairs. We are digging our own grave!

Grow trees, harvest rain water. Take water from ground and put the same back. Else we will perish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by centaur (Post 4194923)

I am not sure how is the government giving additional permission to construct more building and flats, each more taller than the other, when there is not enough water to even provide for the existing places. Water conservation activities from the government are just a hogwash for e.g. we have a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in our society which is not even functional but the corporation has given a completion certificate to the builder. Adding to it, the STP is of under capacity than what it should be for a society of our size. Since, "as per records" we have an STP, on paper we get only half of what we should ideally get and in reality what we get is even lower than that on paper.

Completely agree with you! The major reason for water crisis is the sheer number of housing societies that have sprung up in cities. Because of these, the builders just keep drilling bore wells, now during the construction phase the water is used exorbitantly and by the time the construction is over, the bore wells run dry thereby affecting the water table in that area.

The only reason for so many buildings coming up is because of the greed of people. The authorities take money to approve every request coming from the builder without even thinking about the effects of that approval. A perfect example is the allocation of land to corporate companies and builders in the Whitefield area and the Sarjapur road areas. These areas are facing severe water shortage. Only those area that are covered by Kaveri water get some respite.

Bangalore is just an indication, of this huge underlying problem. And unfortunately no one is noticing this abuse of nature and natural resources, and deforestation, wastage of water, are all still going on in full swing. I have been trying to spread a tiny message - to open a very small flow from the faucet, while washing hands and other utensils to a bunch of well educated friends at office...
I am still unsuccessful! I can't seem to educate these already-educated people. I have to keep reminding them every single day... Standing here today, if we don't mend our ways and continue this abuse, I am not too hopeful of a bright future! :deadhorse :deadhorse

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashokrajagopal (Post 4195015)

You cant control water with water meters and fees. That is counter productive. There is no dearth on money in this city, mind you. Paying for it just makes people feel entitled to waste water.

I dont see it that way. I have always believed that anything free is never valued and when it comes to precious natural resources like water, it becomes even more so. While it might not make a difference to all the people, it will still make a lot of difference to many people and they will in turn start educating their children to use water judiciously which is the future generation of the country. The situation is so grim that in future you might have a truck load of money but not a drop of water and that future isnt to far.

I for some reason, am not sure how it would be counter productive though.

I have my own house in Chennai and I have installed Water 365 aerator in all the main taps. It limits the water to 6LPM no matter how much the tap is open.

I have asked my mom and the people working to use water judiciously but to no avail. Hence this measure.

Have to look at getting rain water harvesting done next. This is a 20+ year old construction, not sure how that is going to be done.

I see water flowing on the road almost every day in one or the other house in Koramangala and not to mention the cleaning of cars almost every day using long pipes by people living those big mansions. Nobody is going to educate them, that's for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by centaur (Post 4195058)

Certainly, your perspective is fine. My opinion is based on how it actually happens in and around my area. I stay in Bellandur, ORR. Each apartment around my area actually pays for water tankers for the last 4-5 years or so. Water consumption has never come down. The statement we usually hear is that its only 1k per tanker and we are ready to pay for it. This includes totally useless wastage of water like washing the front porch, approach roads, cars and cabs etc. The offices around here obviously run on scores of tankers and they have fountains running. They pay for it, and can pay for it even if the price increases many times more because they have money.

If you start charging higher rate, the only ones who would suffer are the ones who are actually poor.

I tried to initiate a Water Meter installation in my apartment complex 3-4 years back. Unfortunately in almost every apartment complex, there are multiple inlets to each apartment. There was a company that came with a solution of an RFID based solution which would put a small device at each inlet and then read it with a common unit. Total cost worked out to be ~13,000 per apartment with an initial pilot to test the feasibility. Unfortunately, at that time there was a functioning bore-well and there was no charge for water. So I was basically laughed away.

It is ironic that the most precious resource is not charged as it should be especially in cities like Bangalore.

Quote:

Originally Posted by centaur (Post 4194923)

This, I've said it before and I'll say it again, concrete roads and tarred roads as well (which are porous but hardly, given the multiple layers), hinder the percolation of water into the earth, this has a 2-pronged disastrous effect :

1) Heavy rains will lead to flash floods, disrupting life and movement of people/vehicles. In comparison let the heaviest of rains fall over large pockets of muddy/grassy locations, there wont be floods.

2) The "organized" water drains will take the rain water into a central drain/reservoir, but will hinder local catchment of water completely. People make flats and build concrete pathways for people to walk and cars to go over, also the concept of having lawns and vegetable gardens in private homes today is a thing of the past, they all build their homes end to end to maximize on space, result is again that there wont be any water catchment for their own good, digging borewells will make the matter all the more worse since the existing water reserve under the earth will go down further by the day, in certain areas of ORR i believe it is in excess of 1000-1500 feet.

As said already, the problem is not specific to Bangalore, the problem with India is that there are maybe 3, 4 cities having a population in excess of a crore (I think its only 3 - Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore, not sure of Chennai or Kolkata but they should be way less.) These 3 cities provide employment to over 5 million people from outside and that's technically great since it helps the economy and gives employment to the people, BUT in terms of water, air, noise and human pollution, it will take a toll on the cities. Delhi has always been among my favorite cities, the veggie food, the bargain shopping and a combination of rustic (forts, mahals), modern and raw Indian way of living had me attracted to it almost instantly, this was my opinion a decade back when I was that much younger and India was just taking roots in terms of the American jobs front, I made quick visits inbetween but had a proper look about 6 months ago and it seemed like hell had broken loose in terms of pollution, dust, and water shortage, Gurgaon and Greater Noida were even more affected as per my sources.

Bangalore's demise has begun, it is following the same path and until the government and people work together effectively to prevent/postpone the inevitable, things shall come to a boiling point as soon as next year. My only request to people is to be a Bangalorean first, wherever they may be from, and participate in spreading awareness to help conserve natural resources as much as possible and just be - a citizen of earth. Its not about regions, its about leaving a better tomorrow for the coming generation and equally important its also about having a glass of water to drink the next year.