Water Supply

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…

உங்கள் வீட்டிற்கு வழங்கப்படும் தண்ணீர் விசித்திரமான வாசனையை வீசுகிறதா அல்லது உலோக சுவையை வெளிப்படுத்துகிறதா? சென்னையில் குடிநீர் மாசுபடுவது குறித்த கவலைகள் அதிகரித்து வரும் நிலையில், சென்னை மக்கள் தங்கள் குழாய்களில் இருந்து தரமான தண்ணீர் மட்டும்தான் வருகிறதா என்று கேள்வி எழுப்ப இது ஒரு இது சரியான நேரம். ஐஐடி-மெட்ராஸ் நடத்திய ஆய்வில், சென்னையில் உள்ள 75% வீடுகளில் உள்ள தண்ணீர் வயிற்றுப்போக்கு மற்றும் வாந்தியை ஏற்படுத்தும் பாக்டீரியாவான ஈ.கோலையால் (E. coli) மாசுபட்டுள்ளது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. மேலும், பக்கிங்ஹாம் கால்வாய், அடையாறு ஆறு மற்றும் செம்பரம்பாக்கம் ஏரி போன்ற முக்கிய நீர்நிலைகளில் ஃபாரெவர் கெமிக்கல்ஸ்  (forever chemicals or pre- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) எனப்படும் தீங்கு விளைவிக்கும் இரசாயனங்கள் இருப்பதை ஐஐடி-மெட்ராஸின் மற்றொரு ஆய்வில் கண்டறிந்துள்ளது. அருகிலுள்ள நீர் சுத்திகரிப்பு நிலையத்திலிருந்து (WTP) எடுக்கப்பட்ட மாதிரிகளும் மாசுபட்டிருப்பது கண்டறியப்பட்டது.. இந்த PFAS என்பது கல்லீரல் பாதிப்பு, ஹார்மோன்…

Every summer, Bengaluru grapples with its recurring water crisis, despite increased allocation of Cauvery water by the Supreme Court. The city currently has access to 24 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water, but even with this supply, the Chief Minister admitted last summer that Bengaluru still faces a shortage of 500 million litres per day (MLD).   So, will Bengaluru reach water sufficiency this year? Or will the struggles of 2024 — when some areas of the city faced acute water shortage — be repeated? Speaking to Citizen Matters, Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage…

If you ask those who grew up in Mumbai in the 80s what they associate with Vihar Lake, most likely they will say the Humpty Dumpty statue and the annual school picnic on the lake’s banks. Vihar and six other artificial lakes, built over the past two centuries, still meet the majority of Mumbai’s water demand.According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which undertakes the humongous task of water provision to the city, its water supply system is the largest in Asia. BMC distributes around 4,000 million litres of water per day (MLD) to over three million Mumbaikars. Yet, many…

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…

As summer starts kicking in, the strong likelihood of a critical water shortage in Bengaluru is again making headlines. A recent report by BWSSB and Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) reported 80 wards that will face severe water crisis and scarcity this summer and recommended switching to Cauvery connections, as groundwater is depleting at a faster rate.  With back-to-back government orders on groundwater extraction and restrictions on water usage, the administration is scrambling to manage the crisis. Citizens, too, are acutely aware of the looming scarcity — many have already begun cutting down usage, and seeking alternative sources to brace…

Does the water supplied to your home smell strange or taste metallic? With growing concerns over drinking water contamination in Chennai, it is a wake-up call for residents to question what is coming out of their taps. A survey conducted by IIT-Madras revealed that water in 75% of city homes is contaminated with E. coli, a bacteria responsible for causing diarrhoea and vomiting. Moreover, another IIT-Madras study discovered the presence of harmful chemicals known as forever chemicals or pre- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in major water bodies such as the Buckingham Canal, Adyar River, and Chembarambakkam Lake. Samples from a…

As summer intensifies, Bengalureans are once again worried about their taps running dry and the possibility of steep hikes in tanker water prices. Water shortage could be critical this summer in 80 wards, according to a study released by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) last month. The study, resulting from a collaboration between BWSSB and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), predicted a sharp decline in the groundwater levels of these wards by April. These wards, mostly located in the city’s peripheries, are dependent on groundwater. In a press release, BWSSB chairperson Dr Ram Prasath Manohar said…

Bengaluru’s lake system is a distinctive feature of its urban landscape, shaped by the city's unique topography. It is designed to manage its water resources effectively. Divided into three main valleys — Hebbal Valley to the north, Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley to the south and southeast, and Vrishabhavathi Valley to the west and southwest — the city’s lakes form interconnected cascades that enhance water storage, control floods, and recharge groundwater. This is Part 1 of a three-part Citizen Matters explainer series on Bengaluru’s lake systems. Part 1 explores Bengaluru’s lake system, highlighting its functions and features.  Part 2 focuses on the assets of a…

In Pallavaram, a sleepy suburb of Chennai, the water supply from the Palar River — once the lifeline of every household — has turned into a silent threat. On December 5th, three residents lost their lives in separate incidents allegedly after drinking the contaminated water. At least 50 others were rushed to Chromepet Government Hospital over three days with severe diarrheal symptoms.  The locality is in the Tambaram City Corporation limits. But, neither the corporation nor Tamil Nadu's Public Health Department has specified the cause of the deaths (as of publishing this article). The BJP's state unit has claimed that…