City: Bengaluru

I remember the first time I set up my kitchen garden and finished sowing. The joy in the germination, of seeing something grow is the best. I would talk to my plants every day, water them lovingly, and carefully follow all the advice people gave me, to keep them healthy—adding compost, avoiding overwatering, and sticking to companion planting guidelines. But then they struck!!! PESTS. About a month in, I noticed tiny black insects covering the stems. I later learned they were aphids. Over the years of kitchen gardening, I’ve battled mealybugs, aphids, stem borers, fruit flies—you name it. Some seasons…

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…

Nearly 72% of Bengaluru gets contaminated water. Depending on whether residents get their water from borewells, tankers or from the Cauvery River, the quality varies from one area to another. According to a 2018 survey, 24% of Bengaluru households receive water from both borewells and Cauvery, with a hardness level above the prescribed limit of 200 milligrams per litre (mg/l).  Another study found Total Dissolvable Solids (TDS) range crossing 1,000 parts per million (PPM) per litre in Bengaluru, when the acceptable range is a maximum of 300 PPM. TDS refers to the amount of organic and inorganic material dissolved in…

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…

“I’ve seen tiny black worms in this water whenever we store it. But since we don’t have any other source, I strain and boil the water before use,” said Tulasi, mother of two, tediously filling her buckets with Cauvery water from the common tap in Vinayakanagara slum, TC Palya. She stores a drum of water for a week despite her doctor warning her not to store water for more than four days. “What option do I have? We get Cauvery water only once a week for three hours. We get muddy borewell water twice weekly, which we use for non-drinking…

“We had to take Cauvery connections as the common borewell tap went completely dry last summer. Even then, we cannot get a bucket of water without using motors,” said Hajira Bhanu, resident of Triveninagara slum in KR Pura. This slum — 'declared' or officially recognised by the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) — is comparatively developed. Yet the only water source for nearly 60 houses here is the Cauvery, which comes very faintly for less than three hours, twice a week. The residents have installed motors in their homes to draw water, which is considered illegal by the Bangalore Water…

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…

Urban Heat Islands (UHI) are areas within cities that experience significantly higher temperatures than their rural counterparts due to human activities, concretisation, and lack of vegetation. Bengaluru, the fifth most populous metropolis (Census of India, 2011) and one of the rapidly growing cities in India, is no exception. In the last two decades, the city has seen a rapid rise in built-up area from 37.4% to 93.3%. The pressure of urbanisation has not only affected the natural and ecological resources but is also impacting the city’s livability because of rising temperature levels. Unlike sudden disaster events like landslides or floods,…

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.…

The dependency on the Cauvery River for water and the depleting groundwater levels, keep Bengaluru on the edge of a crisis every summer. As the city expands rapidly, it faces a significant challenge – how to manage groundwater sustainably, while meeting the growing demand. Borewells are a common solution for water needs, but strict regulations govern their digging and usage. Bengaluru is classified as a 'notified area', due to overextraction in many places, so borewell digging and extraction are strictly regulated.  However, poor implementation of rules by civic utility bodies undermines their effectiveness. So, how can a Bengalurean dig a…