Navigating Bengaluru’s Water Crisis

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The Good:

• Awareness and Regulation: The response from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) reflects proactive measures to address the water crisis by prohibiting non-essential water usage, such as washing vehicles and gardening, thus conserving precious resources.
• Research and Data: The Urban Water Balance Report by WELL Labs provides crucial insights into the factors contributing to the crisis, which is essential for informed decision-making and sustainable solutions.
•   Rainwater Harvesting and Wastewater Reuse: Initiatives like rainwater harvesting and reusing treated wastewater demonstrate a shift towards more sustainable water management practices, reducing dependence on freshwater sources and enhancing overall water resilience.

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 The Bad:

• Groundwater Depletion: Overexploitation of groundwater, exacerbated by rapid urbanisation and inadequate regulatory control on borewell drilling, is leading to alarming depletion rates and long-term sustainability concerns.
• Neglected Lake Management: Mismanagement of city lakes, compounded by untreated wastewater inflow and lack of coordination among responsible authorities, not only diminishes their capacity for flood buffering but also exacerbates water pollution and scarcity issues.
• Non-Revenue Water Losses: High rates of non-revenue water losses highlight systemic inefficiencies and infrastructure challenges within the water supply network, hindering efforts to ensure equitable access to water resources.

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The Gist:

Bengaluru is grappling with a severe water crisis driven by various interconnected factors, including groundwater depletion, inadequate infrastructure, and mismanagement of water bodies. While regulatory responses and initiatives like rainwater harvesting offer hope for sustainable solutions, systemic challenges such as non-revenue water losses and neglected lake management underscore the need for comprehensive and coordinated action to ensure water security for all residents.

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Bengaluru’s Struggle

In Bengaluru, several regions are confronting a pressing water crisis, primarily stemming from the dwindling levels of borewells. Media reports have pinpointed 257 vulnerable locations. Responding to this dire situation, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) took decisive action on March 8, issuing an order that bars the use of potable water for activities like vehicle washing, gardening, and construction.

The genesis of this crisis is multifaceted, as illuminated by the Urban Water Balance Report for Bengaluru, meticulously curated by WELL Labs, a local research entity. This report sheds light on critical concerns, including the city’s reliance on overexploited groundwater, limited access to BWSSB pipelines, neglected lake upkeep, and underutilization of water treatment infrastructure.

Consequently, residents and residential communities find themselves shelling out exorbitant sums for water tankers, with a 12,000-litre private tanker fetching upwards of Rs 2,850 in areas bereft of piped Cauvery water connections, exacerbating the severity of the water scarcity.

The city’s water distribution network primarily caters to central zones, leaving peripheral areas dependent on groundwater. According to WELL Labs’ data, Bengaluru’s daily freshwater demand hovers around 2,632 million litres, with the city drawing nearly half of this requirement from groundwater sources due to the shortfall in BWSSB-supplied Cauvery water.

The report’s projections underscore a staggering domestic demand surpassing the provision from Cauvery piped connections, compelling the burgeoning outskirts to rely on tankers and private borewells for sustenance. Moreover, the inequitable distribution of public water supply exacerbates the plight of peripheral areas grappling with burgeoning populations.

The unchecked proliferation of private borewells compounds the crisis, with regulatory lapses allowing housing complexes, tech parks, and private residences to operate thousands of borewells clandestinely, exacerbating groundwater depletion rates.

Groundwater recharge rates significantly lag behind extraction rates, with all six assessment units in urban Bengaluru identified as overexploited by the Central Groundwater Authority. The dearth of green spaces further impedes aquifer recharge, with the city’s green cover dwindling from 28% in 2010 to a mere 2.9% in 2023.

In response, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) earmarked Rs 131 crore for borewell drilling in affected areas. However, this measure appears shortsighted, given the already depleted groundwater levels and inadequate mapping.

The mismanagement of city lakes exacerbates the crisis, as untreated wastewater inundated these vital reservoirs, thwarting their capacity to buffer floods and store rainwater effectively. Decades of neglect have left these lakes choked with pollutants, impeding their role in urban flood management.

The endemic issue of non-revenue water (NRW) losses further compounds the crisis, with leakages and unauthorised connections bleeding nearly 30% of the city’s water supply. Despite efforts to mitigate NRW, such measures risk diminishing groundwater recharge rates, necessitating a holistic approach to water management.

Efforts to harness rainwater and treat wastewater present silver linings amid the crisis, offering sustainable alternatives to freshwater consumption and alleviating pressure on dwindling resources. However, these initiatives must be complemented by robust regulatory frameworks and coordinated governance to address the root causes of the water crisis plaguing Bengaluru.