water conservation

Bengaluru, a rapidly expanding landlocked city without proximity to major water sources such as rivers, is largely dependent on its groundwater resources. And with summer fast approaching, the city’s water needs will only increase even as its availability declines. Bengaluru is blessed with rains throughout the year, which makes it ideal for rainwater harvesting. Even though Bengaluru is listed as the second-highest in rainwater harvesting in Indian cities, is it enough? According to a World Bank Group report, over the last 50 years, the total number of borewells in the country has grown from one million to 20 million, making…

How Bengaluru households can reduce their water demand and consumption, especially through internal water metering, was the focus of a webinar on water management co-organised by Citizen Matters, Biome Environmental Trust, and the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) on November 20th. Rajiv K N, Additional Chief Engineer, BWSSB, explained why water management was critical for Bengaluru. Once the Cauvery Stage V project is commissioned in 2023, the city will get its maximum allocation of 2225 MLD (Million Litres per Day) from the Cauvery river. However as per BWSSB's estimates, the city's water demand is expected to increase to…

With Bengaluru experiencing near continuous rainfall over the last few days, water scarcity is the last thing on any one’s mind. But come February, when the water taps open to a trickle and the tanker water suppliers hike their rates, it won’t be easy. What does it take to save every possible drop and manage water demand to avoid the typical summer worries? As per the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board), the current water demand for the city is 2,100 MLD (Million Litres per Day), which is an increase of 50% compared to the demand 10 years ago.…

Two years ago, Sobha Daffodils -- an apartment in HSR Layout -- decided to do something about their water footprint. Over 420 houses in the apartment adopted smart water flow meters that monitor water usage in real-time. Since then, Radhakrishna Kurup’s average water intake has dropped by about 20%. Kurup is the President of Sobha Daffodils Apartment Owners’ Association. The use of water globally has increased by roughly six times over the past 100 years, and is expected to rise further. The available freshwater resources have declined by more than 20% per person over the past two decades, according to…

Over the years, we have noticed that giving people tips on water conservation often does not translate into practice, especially over the long term. A recent study by researchers at IIM-B shows that behavioural interventions could be a solution. The researchers, Vivek, Deepak Malghan and Kanchan Mukherjee, conducted the study at a 120-unit affluent apartment community in the outskirts of Bengaluru. Each flat in the complex had individual water meters installed already, so each household’s consumption could be measured. The researchers divided the households into four groups: The T1 group were given weekly reports on their per-person water usageT2 group…

Bengaluru has found a love for microbreweries that brew their own beer on small scales, thanks to the influx of well-traveled young tech workers. Known as the pub capital of India, the city now has an estimated 60-plus micro breweries. What you may not know, is the amount of water needed to brew a pint of beer in these craft breweries. On average, it takes seven litres of water to brew a litre of beer. That number becomes many times higher when you factor in the entire water footprint of beer, including water required to grow the grain and water…

This summer, Bengalureans faced another gruelling water crisis. So much so that residents even in core areas of the city had to start buying water from private tankers. And in outer areas, even private tanker supply was inadequate. We had earlier published a guide on building recharge wells to capture rainwater this monsoon. Another way to meet your water requirement is by treating and reusing the greywater generated in your household, especially if you live in an independent house. What is greywater? Greywater is simply soap water; it's the wastewater from bathrooms, washing machines etc. Greywater does not contain much…

Many believe that there will be future wars over water. Some facts: Water, the "elixir of life" is a natural resource and must be shared equitably between every living being. Those authorized to handle water are only its trustees and not owners. The United Nations mandates 135 litres of water per person daily, but providing this remains a dream especially for people from marginalized communities. Around 3/4th of the earth is water of which 97 per cent is saline and unfit for human consumption. Two per cent of the remaining water is frozen. Half the rest is in rivers, streams,…

At Casa Ansal apartments on Bannerghata Road, JP Nagar, we got samples of the following drinking water sources tested from a reputed water testing laboratory. Cauvery water as received from BWSSB Water from the open well near A- Block Water from the open well near D- Block Water from borewell near B- block This is what we inferred from the test results: None of the samples meet the Indian standard specifications for drinking water. The Cauvery water sample is the worst of the lot. It contains the highest MPN (Most probable number of Bacteria count) The water from the other…

Vendors who participated in the melaLabournetJP Nagar II PhaseTel: 44504450, 9448395258Email: rajesh[at]labournet[dot]in, aditya[at]labournet[dot]inGreat Bear PromotionHennur Road, Kalyan NagarTel: 25431414, 9243101670Email: gbpcti[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inFarmland SystemsJayanagar 7th BlockCell: 9448076595Email: farmlandrhs[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inHoneywell Rain Water HarvestingGanganagarCell: 9945331381Email: honeywell[dot]rwhs[at]gmail[dot]comRainbow Rain Water HarvestingMattikereTel: 66379585, 9844055050EcoserveYelahanka New townCell: 9341325216, 9379538366FramelinesKengeriCell: 9880659675Email: tomlalthomas[at]hotmail[dot]comSwaraj FoundationAmrutnagarTel: 23622938Email: swarajfoundation[at]gmail[dot]comGreen TechnologiesBanashankari III StageTel: 26696905, 9448571861Email: greentech[at]gmail[dot]comBaduku CollegeSeshadripuramTel: 23468113/114, 9449359156Email: samvada[at]gmail[dot]comRainwater Concepts Pvt LtdSahakarnagarCell: 9448379497Email: rainwatermasagi2000[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]inTechnology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE)MalleshwaramTel: 23315656, 9448491501Email: info[at]tide-india[dot]orgHinren Technologies Pvt Ltd.JP Nagar II PhaseTel: 66815120BWSSB Helpdesk numbers23341652, 23348848, 23348849 Note: Listing in this box does not constitute a recommendation by Citizen Matters in favour of any of these vendors. Please make…