[Omkar]

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• Bengaluru is situated on a fractured hard rock aquifer. The recharge rates are meagre, roughly 10 per cent of the rainfall.
• Around half of the city's water comes from its underground aquifer, but this has been so over-extracted that the city is sinking at a frightening rate. The remaining half of Bengaluru's needs come from the Cauvery River, a reservoir 90 km away, which costs Rs 3 crore daily for pumping.
• Since 1990, the city's population has tripled to 13.6 million, which led to rampant unplanned townships encroaching on lakes and green belt areas.
• Water shortages and rising temperatures, worsened by expanding urban areas and vanishing green spaces, make Bengaluru an unbearable hotspot.

Politicians downplay the crisis, but experts warn that Bengaluru is on the brink of disaster. It faces a water crisis with a twist: dry borewells, empty lakes in summer, and floods during the monsoon. "The city can't store enough water despite over 900 mm of rainfall annually. Rapidly depleting groundwater is now a primary source, especially in expanding suburbs," Veena Srinivasan, Executive Director of WELL Labs

The report shows that pumping groundwater costs nearly as much as pumping from Cauvery River reservoirs, about Rs 2.7 crore daily, excluding transportation costs. Natural groundwater recharge is only about 183 MLD, just 10 per cent of the city's rainfall. Lakes contribute just 35 MLD annually to recharge, with significant seasonal differences.

The combination of rising temperatures and decreasing or inconsistent rainfall contributes significantly to the water crisis. Higher temperatures increase water demand and evaporation, while lower rainfall means less water is available to meet this demand.

Increased concrete surfaces reduce groundwater recharge; higher populations mean more water is needed. According to a study, Bengaluru's landscape is poised for dramatic transformation. The report said that from 1973 to 2022, the city's built-up area expanded by 51.8 per cent, while green spaces shrank by 26.2 per cent (177.2 sq km). If this trend continues, Bengaluru will lose an additional 14.3 sq km of greenery by 2038, with the built-up area growing by 1,536 sq km.

Bangalore's situation mirrors global trends, where increasing temperatures could lead to higher evaporation rates, exacerbating water scarcity. Additionally, changes in precipitation patterns, potentially resulting in less rainfall, would further stress the city's water resources.

Source - India Today

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[ninjatalli]

This is not a problem of 2023 rainfalls. This is a problem in the making for years. Bangaloreans (locals and officials) don't have the mindset focused on water management.

I reside in the central business district (CBD) area; this area is yet to be impacted by water shortage; and if there is, it is far from what Whitefield and other outer areas are facing. Even today, I see individual house owners around my area using pipes to wash their cars and sometimes even their parking area. There's a Udupi outlet close to my house which has had a leaky tap for customers to use. I have told the owner so many times over the last year to get it rectified, he just doesn't care. They aren't alone - this problem can be seen all over the city. Rain water harvesting isn't a norm in this city (for comparison, Chennai is miles ahead).

Sometimes I think this city deserves a proper full-on drought across the city. Quite possible we might reach that stage by end of June. It will be even worse if the western monsoon is weakened or delayed (thanks to El Nino). Maybe that will kick in some much-needed change; not a short-gap arrangement (like drilling more borewells that the government is recommending).

[svsantosh]

I have personally seen at least 2-3 lakes disappear into apartments and developed roads and homes.

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.c...20encroachment.

Credit to news owner/website

Systematic encroachment and corruption have land filled plum water bodies into dry pieces of land where apartments have come up. I have seen Gare-Bavi palya (garepalya near bomanahalli) lake filled up with construction debris about 10-12 years ago. It has halved in size now.

Other hand direct release of effluents into Varthur and Bellandur lakes (in the past, i dont know about today) also have irreversible damage.

Unless there is a serious effort to interlink rivers at a state level, water crisis will keep coming up in Bangalore and Mysore. Krishna and Godavari (also Thunga and Badra) have good potential to feed the water scarce districts but no decision has been taken in the past to interlink rivers.

[Raghu M]

Another city with the same problem. Let's leave aside the causes and impact for a while and look at it from a different perspective. Why don't the so called MNCs who want to set shop in Bengaluru or even Chennai think about moving a little outside the city? They talk about CSR and have long term visions. It's so evident that water scarcity will affect operations down the lane. Why can't they talk to the govt. and start moving out of the city? For example, Infosys can start a satellite city if one big center is opened 50 kms from Bengaluru. If they want to do it, they can and it's not a business that fails because of lack of sales, people need jobs and a simple township with solar energy, simple housing and basic amenities provided will have a few thousand people thriving. This is not even something that's new. If people can't be the change, then companies have to take initiative.

[PreludeSH]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

Another city with the same problem. Let's leave aside the causes and impact for a while and look at it from a different perspective. Why don't the so called MNCs who want to set shop in Bengaluru or even Chennai think about moving a little outside the city? They talk about CSR and have long term visions. It's so evident that water scarcity will affect operations down the lane. Why can't they talk to the govt. and start moving out of the city? For example, Infosys can start a satellite city if one big center is opened 50 kms from Bengaluru. If they want to do it, they can and it's not a business that fails because of lack of sales, people need jobs and a simple township with solar energy, simple housing and basic amenities provided will have a few thousand people thriving. This is not even something that's new. If people can't be the change, then companies have to take initiative.

You want to move the problem 50 kms away ? There are no rivers around Bengaluru or 50km away with the only one being Kaveri at 100 km and we are already using that water.

The city is growing lot faster than water connections can be provided with Kaveri water. Also, the city has only 5 tmcft allotted to be used from the river. Unless people stop protesting without reason for Mekedatu project, there is no solution.

The problem is with the location of city where ground water doesn't increase with respect to the size of population if one is dependent on it. Its solid rock beneath at most places. It was always a battle that it was going to lose. It will be same problem around City for some distance.

[Gansan]

I lived at north Bangalore for five years (2000-2005), in a place called Vidyaranyapura. In an independent house, apartments were just beginning to appear there. Never faced any water problem. We used to get piped water from the local municipality, pumped from underground, till about 2002. Water will come past midnight once in two days, fill the sump, then automatically climb to the first floor OHT, fill that also and overflow. I very rarely had to use the motor to pump water from the sump. We were just a couple with a toddler, our water needs were not much. Being from Chennai and seen water problems early on, we used to spend the water like it was money. As for our neighbours - they were all profligate in water usage.

From 2003 onwards they started giving us Kaveri water. No drama, no digging/changing of old pipelines and meters, just an announcement we will start getting kaveri water from a particular date and the meter charges will change accordingly. The supply was as regular as ever. We returned to Chennai by mid 2005.

Then went back for a marriage during 20011, and were surprised by the number of apartments that had mushroomed. And were shocked to see water tankers plying on the roads and our neighbors were buying water periodically to augment the supply. So the problem had already commenced more than a decade back. There were talks of RWH then, but I had not seen one single house in the area implementing it.

Fortunately for Chennai, RWH somehow became a pet project of Jayalalithaa. Being the despot she was, she suddenly announced one day during 2002 "every building, existing or under construction, must implement RWH according to government guidelines before such and such date or else...!" Everyone knew she never bluffed, so 90% of the people implemented it as per guidelines at quite some cost. I remember for our complex it cost about 25k in 2002. Govt authorities inspected once while it was under construction, and once again after completion before certifying as "RWH implemented building". The threat was property tax will go up several times for those who did not implement. In hindsight it was the best thing to happen to Chennai.

I wish someone would implement it with equal vigour in Bangalore. The city needs it urgently. At least Chennai is at sea level, has various water bodies and worst comes, more desalination plants can be set up. Bangalore is situated a thousand meters above msl.

[Sebring]

It is shocking that Bengaluru is not looking at desalination at all. For how long will Cauvery suffice? Tankers are owned by politicians and they will milk it till the end.

[115]

Linking a very relevant thread on this topic

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...-resource.html (Day Zero: Water scarcity and our apathy towards this precious resource)

[akshaysawant]

When you get 900mm of rainfall and do not build a catchment area and build a city like Bengaluru, you are awaiting a disaster. Actually central government should put cap on cities growth. If you do not have basic infrastructure you cannot grow beyond certain point. Still Bengaluru wants to have more investment, wants to expand. This time the water problem started from February end itself. We are half way through March and peak summer is yet to come. God helps Bengaluru!!

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Sometimes I think this city deserves a proper full-on drought across the city.

I agree and have felt that this is the only solution. I have lived here all my life and it is sad that this seems to be the only teacher.
I have similar observations as you and it pains me to see the mindless use of water - irrespective of rainfall/draught/summer/winter. If you are a person who cares about sustainability, water and energy conservation, it becomes a painful existence day in and out just to watch.

Unlike what folks above has suggested, the long term solution is probably not around bringing more water to BLR, but to make better use of its existing water resources.

About MNCs - the company I work for is a large MNC and it is water surplus. Meaning, the RWH over a large area plus STP and treated water reuse ensures there is more fresh water available than what is being pulled out of the borewells/pipes. Corporations operating on large land areas are well placed to be water surplus - it is possible that they already are.

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Govt authorities inspected once while it was under construction, and once again after completion before certifying as "RWH implemented building". The threat was property tax will go up several times for those who did not implement. In hindsight it was the best thing to happen to Chennai.

I wish someone would implement it with equal vigour in Bangalore.

We were planning to implement RWH in our apartment. However, people were concerned with bird droppings getting mixed with water, and refused to believe that the water would be safe enough after proper filtration. Any pointers on how such issues are handled elsewhere?

Also, what do you think about recharging borewells with water from storm water drains during rainy season? Is that a safe practice to do considering possibility of contamination including from any possible sewage water that may have entered the drains.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by KL01toKA03

We were planning to implement RWH in our apartment. However, people were concerned with bird droppings getting mixed with water, and refused to believe that the water would be safe enough after proper filtration. Any pointers on how such issues are handled elsewhere?

It depends on what you want to use the harvested rainwater for. You get different setups at correspondingly higher costs. If the idea is to use the rainwater for internal use, like drinking and cooking, then there are high-end systems that will also cost more. Personally, I would install a basic system and use that harvested water for all the outside needs, so then it doesn't matter if the water is of the highest quality or not.

Talk to some companies that do these installations, they can come to the building and present their designs.

There are always those people in any apartment building whose job is to block any initiative. As it is, you must have seen the quality and state of the water tankers that come to fill water in most apartment buildings. How great is the water quality from them?

[PreludeSH]

Which City in the world depends on only Rain water within its limits for its needs ? With the altitude of City, all water can only flow away, not into the City. With all the rain that can be used the water quantity comes to 15 tmcft. Is this sufficient ? Is Chennai able to fulfil all its needs with ground water even with RWH ?

All Cities depend on river water and not on rain water alone. Only solution is to use water from as many rivers in Karnataka as possible. They are considering Krishna, Hemavathi etc.

Ground water should be used only for emergencies. Trees also need ground water. New pipelines from Kaveri are happening slowly compared to the growth which is the No.1 problem. We dont think about infrastructure before we allow buildings, same with every other area like factories, offices etc

In my area we have no water problem except the sites where they have built 8 homes in 60x40 plots Solution is to limit the growth (impossible), be one step ahead in bringing water into City compared to growth. Well, this is India I know people who work with City administration abroad and they have plans for 10-15 years ahead for such things. They have even more litigations on water rights. There even RWH will have issues and lower riparian areas can sue you.

[KL01toKA03]

Originally Posted by am1m

It depends on what you want to use the harvested rainwater for. You get different setups at correspondingly higher costs. If the idea is to use the rainwater for internal use, like drinking and cooking, then there are high-end systems that will also cost more.

For all uses other than drinking, cooking and bath, we already used treated water from our STP. Our intention for investing in RWH is solely for drinking water purposes.

Does anyone think that it is feasible to use water contaminated with bird droppings, dust, leaves etc and filter it to a level that it can be used and drinking water. It goes without saying that we should be able to recover the cost in a reasonable time period (3-5 years). We are currently buying water worth 6-9 lakhs every year.