cauvery

What should Bengaluru - institutions and its citizens - do in the immediate run and the long run, considering the Cauvery dispute and the limits to water scenario? Just remember that only a third among us, or maybe half, are in the Cauvery basin, the rest are not part of the Water Tribunal process. This city has been built on a ridge and in the basin of two rivers, though many of us may not even be able to name the rivers into which Bengaluru empties its sewage. Consider this – we are pumping 1400 million litres of water per…

Anirudh Rajashekar, a student from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, alongwith IIM Bangalore’s New Real Estate initiative, is conducting a study to map out water tanker prices in Bangalore to understand the dynamics of the water tanker industry. Their hope is to provide policy recommendations that might improve water access in Bangalore. If you live in an apartment, you can fill this short 15 minute survey to your resident association officer or a member of your management committee. The results of this survey can have a major positive impact in the way water is distributed and managed in Bengaluru.…

Monsoon is at its best this year. Rivers and reservoirs are in spate, enhancing the beauty of waterfalls across the state manifold. Weekends are your chance to revel in the lap of nature and water, more so if the weekend is long. Citizen Matters lists some destinations that are not very far from Bangalore, where you can spend your weekends this monsoon. Google maps or GPS navigation would be your best friend for all these journeys, if you are driving on your own. A trip to Shivanasamudra will ensure you enjoy the beauty of the twin falls -Gaganachukki and Bharachukki…

The recent trend of flowering trees blooming simultaneously has experts worried, though not panicked. Yet, this unnatural phenomenon is just one of the many warning signs that should be heeded. With its severe water shortage, rampant building activity, axing of beautiful, healthy trees and pollution of water bodies, Bangalore could be facing a disastrous situation. If this is not reversed, it could have severe repercussions.Whitefield is one example of how irrational and unscientific construction activity has severely affected the area. The sudden spurt in building activity began about 10 years ago despite no improvement or change in the water supply…

"Don't worry for water, Bangalore," - a fortnight ago a news report ascribed the above assurance from the BWSSB and the Government. Nothing can be further from truth. Bangalore is facing a water calamity. The facts are given below. GAP BETWEEN DEMAND AND SUPPLY WILL ONLY INCREASE At the historical 4% population growth rate of Bangalore over the past fifty years, the population of Bangalore living in the 772 sq. km. of area under the present BBMP will increase from 85 lakhs in 2011 to one crore by 2016. With Hessarghatta gone and Tippegondahanally drying up, the only reliable water…

Residents of Sobha Daffodil apartment in HSR Layout Extension have been waiting for water for the last 4-5 months. They had paid around Rs 10 lakh to the BWSSB for water from Cauvery Stage IV Phase II project; they got pipelines laid and meters fixed. But no water comes here yet. Pic courtesy: BWSSB.org "We paid a few crores some 3-4 years back too, for water. In the last few months, we went to the local BWSSB office some 10 times. Every time, we were told that water will come the next day or next week, but there has been…

Bangaloreans don’t need to look to Cauvery for augmenting water supply, the solution to the Bangalore's water problem remains in treating sewage water. A report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says that around 60% of sewage water in Bengaluru remains untreated. It states that the city has 14 Sewage Treatment Plants with a capacity to treat 721 Million Litres per Day(MLD) but only 302 MLD gets treated. This report titled ‘Excreta Matters’ was released by Sunita Narain- CSE director-general in Bengaluru on June 28th. The report analysed water-sewage situation in 71-cities across India, including Bengaluru.    Sunita suggests…

Bangalore has a large number of NGOs doing enormous work in various fields like leprosy eradication, caring for schizophrenics or dyslexics, protesting against felling of trees and so on. But there's also a group of volunteers who prefer to remain just that, and quietly go about their work without evangelism. They belong to Clean and Green, an organisation instituted for the specific purpose of keeping Bangalore that way. One of the volunteers briefing the others about using the rakes and sacks. Pic: Author. Clean and Green was born in February 2006, when a group of six came together and decided…