Articles by Gangadharan B

Beyond Bengaluru's municipal boundaries lies a troubling pattern of neglect. Many lakes that are under the control of gram panchayats are slowly being lost to unchecked encroachments and poorly executed rejuvenation efforts. In a recent series, we discussed their deterioration and mismanagement, a trend experts point out, is widespread among lakes outside Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. In this interview, environmental activist and Friends of Lakes member Nagesh Aras dives into the root causes of this mismanagement. He highlights the urgent need for governance reforms and scientific guidelines to restore these lakes. Governance and mismanagement Why do lakes under…

Aruna runs a tiffin stall on the footpath along Hosur Road, close to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Her setup is temporary—just a foldable cot to lay out her dishes, partially shielded by a blue tarpaulin. The stove and dosa tawa sit exposed to the elements. “When the sun is out, the heat becomes unbearable, and when it rains, we can’t make dosas at all. That directly affects our earnings,” she says. Every day, she spends nearly two hours setting up and packing down this makeshift stall, even though the tarpaulin sheets offer little protection from…

Ragiri Sankara is a cab driver based in Bengaluru. “Tackling the heat is a huge task these days,” he says. To be driving all day in the heat is very tiring; the car heats up very fast. “I pack different juices daily to keep myself cool,” he adds.  Gig workers, street vendors, waste pickers, construction labourers, and the urban poor face a higher risk of heat stress than the general population. Now that summer has ended and the monsoon is setting in, the government has once again failed to effectively manage heat stress in Bengaluru. The need for a localised…

Migrant workers and their families, street vendors, gig workers, domestic help and many more—where do these people figure in city heat mitigation measures? India's heat action plans (HAPs) are falling short where it matters most. About 95% lack vulnerability assessments, leaving communities ill-prepared for rising temperatures, reveals a Centre for Policy Research study. Most plans fail to account for local contexts, oversimplify the hazards, and overlook the most at-risk populations. Bengaluru does not even have a heat action plan. In 2024, architect and climate researcher Ujjvala Krishna, along with other experts from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and…

‘You should also report on Hegondanahalli Kere. A lake has been killed in the name of rejuvenation' — a message that I received from Chetan Gopal, Bengaluru-based lake conservationist and a member of the group ‘Friends of Lakes’, after my earlier story on Mullur Lake, another panchayat lake, was published.  Chetan regularly visits around 14 lakes in Sarjapura Road, Varthur and nearby areas, mostly outside the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limit, and his observations bear out what our article underscored — that lakes on the peripheries of the city face common challenges that have left them in worse condition…

When the residents of TZED Homes, a community in Whitefield, faced water shortages, they did not immediately resort to using tanker water. Instead, they opted for an unconventional solution — treating and reusing wastewater for potable purposes. It was a difficult decision, and even more challenging to convince all community members to accept. "Until four to five years ago, we could access water at a depth of just 80 feet. However, tankers extracting water from commercial borewells have significantly affected our aquifer," says Babu, a resident closely involved in water management in the community. But, their efforts have paid off…

This April 10th, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced a water tariff hike after a gap of 11 years. The Board also decided to increase the tariff by 3% on April 1st every year. For most households, the tariff hike would mean paying ₹20 to ₹30 more on their monthly water bills this year. While the middle class sees a slight increase, slum dwellers face exorbitant costs, highlighting a stark inequality in access to clean, affordable water across the city. Here is how the tariff hike will reflect in your water bill this May. For domestic users…

Monitoring groundwater level is like keeping a tab on your income and expenses—if you are spending more, it is a warning sign. You can cut down spending or find ways to earn more. Similarly, a city must decide whether to reduce extraction in certain areas or improve recharge methods, such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, or preserving open spaces. So, does Bengaluru have enough groundwater monitoring systems? While a WELL Labs report estimates the city's groundwater consumption as 1,392 million litres a day (MLD), BWSSB’s groundwater outlook report states that the extraction is only 800 MLD. This suggests a significant…

Ambedkar Nagar, located in Kodathi panchayat, is a rapidly expanding neighbourhood in Bengaluru's outskirts. Young professionals socialising, walking to their workplace, waiting for their cabs—this area reflects Bengaluru's bustling IT ecosystem. Water tankers are a common sight, supplying water to local buildings. From small eateries to salons, the area has all the essential facilities for everyday life. The Wipro office premises are located on one side of Ambalipura-Sarjapura Road, while opposite its Kodathi gate, NPS School Road is lined with brightly painted, four-storey Paying Guest (PG) accommodations. But this growth has come at a steep cost, especially for the environment.…

Bengaluru gets its water from a reservoir 90 kilometres away and 350 metres below the city's elevation. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has to spend approximately  ₹3 crore daily on electricity charges to pump this water to meet only half the city's needs. This is for the four stages of Cauvery water supply, which provide 1,460 Million Litres a Day (MLD). With Cauvery Stage 5 delivering an additional 750 MLD, the costs are expected to rise significantly. On the other hand, the BWSSB, based on the findings of a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science…