Water Supply

My domestic help Vijayamma is an ardent student of the WhatsApp University syllabus. Ever since the world began to grapple with COVID-19, Whatsapp forwards have gone from ridiculous to Sajid Khan-movie-level logic. Picture this - somebody told her that exposure to sunlight on Sundays causes the infection, and I found myself sitting in semi-darkness a whole day. Another day, I woke up to her peering over me, wearing something like Tom Hardy's mask from the 'Dark Knight Rises'. Her theories gets so bizarre, I often want to order a chemistry set and start finding a cure for this damned virus…

Supply of packaged drinking water in several parts of Bengaluru has been affected after the total lockdown that came into effect from Tuesday midnight. There are many sides to the problem. One, packaged water distributors are unable to fetch cans from bottling companies due to the lockdown. Two, distributors are unable to supply cans to residents who place orders through phone calls. Several distributors in the city have stopped answering their phones as the demand for packaged water has soared and they are unable to meet it. The other side of the story is that offices being the biggest customers…

Today (22nd March) is the World Water Day, devoted to sustainable management of freshwater resources. On this day, events are held world-over, to assess the current state of freshwater and to make strategies for the future. The World Water Day is of critical importance to the Bengaluru city in particular, because it should remind us that we will be running out of water this year. This grim knowledge should drive us with a sense of urgency and desperation. But our authorities have done nothing: While all our fresh water sources have turned to cesspools, there is an air of complacence…

Whitefield, ORR, Bellandur and surrounding areas are set for a water crisis, as the District Administration of Bengaluru (Rural) has come down heavily on tanker water suppliers for extracting groundwater from farmland. BESCOM has disconnected power supply to tanker operators’ borewells. Bengaluru Khasagi Neeru Sarabarajudhaarara Sangha, an association of private tanker-water suppliers, has called for a strike starting 16 March. This would affect residents, especially those in apartments, who depend on tanker supply for their daily water needs as they have limited or no supply from BWSSB. Tanker water supply to Mahadevapura and East Bangalore areas has become short by…

The Honourable National Green Tribunal (NGT) of India, constituted under the NGT Act of 2010, bases all its directions and judgements on three basic tenets: Sustainable development Precautionary principle Polluter pays These tenets are considered the bedrock of jurisprudence in cases relating to the environment. I have absolutely no quarrel with any of these guiding principles. I have a question, however, on how the Hon. NGT defines and decides who the real polluter is, in case of dysfunctional sewage treatment plants (STPs) in apartments. Based on NGT's directions, the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has been issuing notices to apartments for running…

Recently the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) slapped heavy fines on multiple apartments in the city. The reason: "STP is not running properly", "treated sewage does not meet some quality parameters". Some apartments have rightly questioned KSPCB's sampling method, the inordinate delay in sending test reports, and the fact that the apartments' own monthly tests (conducted at NABL-accredited labs) had never shown any problem with the treated water quality. While these objections are valid, the ugly truth is that many STPs may really be unable to treat sewage fully. In a previous article, I explored why this happens, and how some reforms…

Today, a large number of apartment complexes, malls and tech parks in Bengaluru have their own STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants). If an STP is working properly, its treated water would look just like tap water - clear, without any odour. In addition, it must meet the specifications set by the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). If the treated water looks dark brown, or stinks, the STP owner knows that the STP has some trouble. But even if the treated water looks clear and odour-free, it may still not meet specifications; and the owner may not be even aware that his STP…

Translated by Sandhya Raju 2019-ம் ஆண்டில் ஏற்பட்ட கடுமையான தண்ணீர் பிரச்சனையை தொடர்ந்து சென்னை பெருநகர  குடிநீர் மற்றும் கழிவுநீர் வாரியம் (CMWSSB) சில இலக்குகளை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. இது நிறைவேறினால் நம் நகரம் தண்ணீர் பாதுகாப்பு உறுதி பெறும். இது வரை முற்றிலும் தண்ணீர் வசதி பெறாத பகுதிகளுக்கும் , போதிய அளவு தண்ணீர் பெறாமல் இருந்த பகுதிகளுக்கும் இந்த ஆண்டு குடிநீர் வாரியம் தனது சேவையை அளிக்க உள்ளது. இதனுடன் கீழ்கண்ட முயற்சிகளையும் முன்னெடுக்க உள்ளது: 1. கழிவு நீர் மறுசுழற்சி நகரத்தில் அதிகரித்து வரும் தண்ணீர் தேவையை பூர்த்தி செய்ய, கழிவுநீர் சுத்திகரிப்பு நிலையங்களை அதிகரிக்க குடிநீர் வாரியம் திட்டமிட்டுள்ளது. கொடுங்கையூர் மற்றும் கோயம்பேட்டில், ரிவர்ஸ் ஆஸ்மோசிஸ் சுழற்சி முறையில் இரண்டு சுத்திகரிப்பு நிலையங்கள் தற்போது உள்ளன. இவை தலா 45 mld அளவு நீரை தருகின்றன. அருகில் உள்ள தொழிற்சாலைகளுக்கு இந்த நீர் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன. இதன்…

Chennai’s water security has been a hotly debated issue, ever since the city saw alternating incidents of devastating drought and destructive floods over the last five years. The floods were the result of thoughtless urbanisation while the drought came about due to the city’s poor adoption of water conservation. An answer to the conundrums surrounding water in Chennai may well lie in turning towards nature-based solutions, according to the proposals put forth by a promising initiative titled City of 1000 Tanks. City of 1000 Tanks is a multi-stakeholder effort, including the Corporation of Chennai and 100 Resilient Cities, that involves…

As the rejuvenation of Bellandur and Varthur lakes is underway, the NGO Bangalore Environment Trust (BET) has written an open letter to the state government, requesting course correction. The expert committee on lake rejuvenation had recommended that both the lakes be desilted, but BET's letter points out that it'd take 53 years to remove the toxic silt-cum-slush in Bellandur lakebed, and 20 years for Varthur lakebed! This is because toxic waste has flown into the two lakes, unimpeded, for the last 50 years. BET's calculations are based on a recent study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). More importantly, the…