Water Supply

Handwashing and personal hygiene are critical to protecting ourselves from coronavirus. But as summer approaches, Bengaluru faces the threat of water scarcity again. How can authorities and citizens handle this problem?

While Cauvery water is usually used as drinking water in homes that have water purifiers, about 2/3 of the city has no access to such piped water. They depend on packaged drinking water cans for drinking water needs, but these cans have been scarcely available since the lockdown.

That Bengaluru gets into a regular water crisis, is something we all know. But whose job is it to protect our water resources? It’s our state pollution control board. And here’s why KSPCB is incapable of bailing us out.

With summer approaching, and with COVID risks, there is more demand for water. Residents are worried tanker water shortage can create havoc.

As per environmental jurisprudence, the polluter has to pay. But apartment STPs (sewage treatment plants) are usually set up and approved by five different players. So who’s the real polluter when an STP is defective?

KSPCB has been asking apartments in the city to pay up lakhs as compensation for defective sewage treatment plants. But the Board itself is responsible for approving many plants that had design and fabrication issues.

Apartment STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants) are set up after getting government approvals, yet they malfunction soon and residents keep spending lakhs to correct defects. This scenario can change with some reforms in the STP approval process.

Environmentalists, in an open letter to the government, pointed out that draining and desilting the toxic Bellandur and Varthur lakes would have severe impacts. They urge the government to hold an Environment Impact Assessment beforehand

Inadequate workforce and finances are affecting BWSSB’s services, according to the Board’s Chairman Tushar Girinath. Girinath and other experts discussed solutions to Bengaluru’s water crisis at a recent panel discussion

A slew of regulations are needed to arrest Bengaluru’s worsening water scarcity. These include change in water pricing, integrated management of various water resources, and so on

How can every Bengalurean be provided with enough water for their needs, at a price they can afford? Attend a panel discussion on October 24th, where BWSSB Chairman and domain experts explore solutions

In water-starved Chikkabellandur, a small apartment community uses rainwater harvesting (RWH) to meet much of their needs. They use some of the rainwater directly, and the rest to recharge their borewells