Environment

KEY POINTS

Bengaluru water crisis

·        A BBC report released recently, listed 11 world cities that were most likely to run out of drinking water, and put Bengaluru at number 2.

·        Bengaluru originally had multiple sources of water supply in the form of over 200 lakes, abundant groundwater, and supplies from reservoirs and tanks.

·        These sources are all but dead now due to the depletion of catchment areas in the wake of uncontrolled and unplanned infrastructure expansion.

·        This makes Bengaluru critically dependent on the Cauvery water and the monsoon rains.

·        Residents get water, less than half the ideal amount.

Cause of crisis

·        More than half of Bengaluru’s drinking water is wasted due to antiquated plumbing.

·        The proliferation of borewells, especially in the core city areas, has led to a massive depletion of groundwater.

·        The government has reclaimed dozens of lakes for bus stands, stadiums, and housing complexes, and real estate firms have been the major beneficiaries of land allotment on lakeshores.

·        Not a single lake in Bengaluru had suitable water for drinking or bathing.

·        Garbage and sewage have poisoned lakes, and the concretisation of catchment areas has choked inlet channels.

·        The groundwater quality has deteriorated with high presence of iron, fluoride, nitrate and conductivity with drastic decline in water table.

·        Bengaluru is a groundwater quality hotspot due to exploitation of groundwater beyond rechargeable limits.

Suggestions

·        Push aggressively and quickly for the protection of the catchment areas as well as the Cauvery to flow freely and unpolluted.

·        Adequate water to the city will be provided by effectively using current supplies, tapping into rainwater sources, and recycling wastewater.

·        Push for rainwater harvesting across all buildings old and new in Bengaluru.

·        The city gets a decent amount of rainfall every year, which can be utilised to meet drinking water needs and recharge the groundwater table.

·        Organising awareness campaigns in order to make citizens realise the great responsibility lies with them to use water judiciously and to save water.

·        Measures should be taken to avoid rampant exploitation of groundwater.

·        Treat waste-water to such levels that they can be used to fill lakes.

·        Surplus treated waste-water can then fill the lakes of the neighbouring dry districts, providing water to farmers for cultivation as well as enhancing bio-diversity.