Water Supply

Within just a few decades, Bengaluru has grown into the third largest city and the fifth largest metropolitan area of the country, with over 13 million people. The city’s rapid development is evident in the rise of built-up area, which has increased 37.4% in 2002 to 93.3% in 2020. In just 40 years, the extent of water bodies has reduced from 3.4% (1973) to less than 1% (2013), placing Bengaluru’s water resources under tremendous stress. Consequently, the city has come to depend heavily on Cauvery water and private water tankers or individual borewells to meet its daily demand. The overexploitation…

A popular quote by WH Auden says, "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." I am deeply convinced that it is true, especially in present times, where the planned urban cities are facing acute water shortage on a regular basis, along with rural and remote areas. One of them is Dombivli. Dombivli, with its rapidly expanding population and insufficient infrastructure, has been grappling with water scarcity for years. I live in an integrated smart city with more than 100 residential buildings built near Dombivli. Currently almost 2,00,000 citizens reside in more than a 1000 flats. Facilities such as…

At the best of times, mornings in a family of four are probably exhausting, particularly for women. Ensuring that everyone eats, gets dressed, heads to school or work on time and in one piece can be chaotic. But mornings in a hot Bengaluru without water is downright soul crushing, says Kala, a 38-year-old woman living in Krishnanapalya. The water shortage in several parts of the city has disrupted the lives of low-income families and put public institutions like schools and hospitals on the edge. Krishnanapalya lies in east Bengaluru. Unlike the 110 villages in the peripheral areas of the city,…

In 2011, the Thoraipakkam Village Panchayat was incorporated into the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) limits and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) rolled out schemes promising piped water supply and underground sewage system for the residents in the area. The move brought hope to the residents as we had waited for these basic amenities ever since we settled here in the 90s. But our anticipation turned to dismay as even after more than 10 years, these schemes remain merely on paper — incomplete on the ground. Read more: High TDS in water supply affects Valmiki Nagar residents…

In the backdrop of a city reeling under water shortage, Opencity held a Bengaluru Water Datajam on March 3rd to look at what data says about the state of water supply in the city, and what can be done to improve the water situation even in dry years. The event was held by Opencity in collaboration with Well Labs, MOD Foundation, Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF), and Biome Environmental Trust. In the day-long event, 32 participants from varied backgrounds, including urban planners, GIS experts, software developers and other active citizens joined hands to analyse public data in the context of water…

Apartments in Bengaluru, especially in the peripheral areas such as Mahadevapura and Bengaluru North, which are dependent on groundwater or tanker water, are being compelled to take some drastic measures of water rationing. But even amidst these dire situations. there are implementable solutions. Here is an example of an apartment that took strong measures to conserve water, despite being serviced by BWSSB: Floriana Estates Apartment, a 19-year-old building in Koramangala, recognised the importance of water conservation as a social responsibility and for sustainability. The Managing Committee (MC) of Floriana Estates took several initiatives, including raising awareness, addressing water wastage, fixing…

In 2023, Citizen Matters published an in-depth series on the rainfall deficit in the city. Over the last two months this year- due to depleting groundwater levels, weak southwest monsoon rains, and reduced water levels in the Cauvery River basin-the water crisis is at our doorsteps. 223 taluks have been declared drought-hit by the state government. As per estimates, 7,408 villages and 1,115 wards in urban local bodies are at risk of drinking water shortage.  The state government, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have stepped in to take stock of the crisis.…

Kochu Shankar, a resident of Banjara Layout in Horamavu, has not had to buy water from private tankers this year, unlike the majority of households in the layout. The rainwater harvesting (RWH) system at his home routes rainwater from the rooftop to the borewell, recharging it and ensuring a year-round water supply for the two-member family. Most residents in the layout have been buying water from private tankers over the past few months. Horamavu, part of the 110 villages added to Bengaluru city corporation limits in 2008, is not getting Kaveri water supply yet. Besides, with extensive digging of new…

Can Bengaluru be water resilient? Urban water researchers Rashmi Kulranjan and Shashank Palur from WELL labs have previously outlined how the city can reduce its dependence on Cauvery water, reuse groundwater and allow lakes to act as flood control systems. However, the first step to building water resilience is understanding the different sources of water in the city, how much water is used and how much remains. WELL labs released Bengaluru's first water balance in October this year, co-authored by Rashmi Kulranjan, Shashank Palur and Muhil Nesi. Here are the key insights from the report. Water management in Bengaluru Rashmi…

The monsoon is just around the corner, and it will hopefully be bountiful. The water situation in Chennai presently is comfortable with Metro Water officials saying that the city has enough of this precious commodity to tide over one more year, irrespective of how the monsoon fares. The Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of the largest sources of water for the city, is already 85% full, necessitating a release to lower its levels so that it can accommodate further inflow during the monsoon. Elsewhere in the city, stormwater drains are being constructed to carry away water that is likely to otherwise stagnate.…