Water Supply

In 2023, Citizen Matters published an in-depth series on the rainfall deficit in the city. Over the last two months this year- due to depleting groundwater levels, weak southwest monsoon rains, and reduced water levels in the Cauvery River basin-the water crisis is at our doorsteps. 223 taluks have been declared drought-hit by the state government. As per estimates, 7,408 villages and 1,115 wards in urban local bodies are at risk of drinking water shortage.  The state government, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have stepped in to take stock of the crisis.…

Kochu Shankar, a resident of Banjara Layout in Horamavu, has not had to buy water from private tankers this year, unlike the majority of households in the layout. The rainwater harvesting (RWH) system at his home routes rainwater from the rooftop to the borewell, recharging it and ensuring a year-round water supply for the two-member family. Most residents in the layout have been buying water from private tankers over the past few months. Horamavu, part of the 110 villages added to Bengaluru city corporation limits in 2008, is not getting Kaveri water supply yet. Besides, with extensive digging of new…

Can Bengaluru be water resilient? Urban water researchers Rashmi Kulranjan and Shashank Palur from WELL labs have previously outlined how the city can reduce its dependence on Cauvery water, reuse groundwater and allow lakes to act as flood control systems. However, the first step to building water resilience is understanding the different sources of water in the city, how much water is used and how much remains. WELL labs released Bengaluru's first water balance in October this year, co-authored by Rashmi Kulranjan, Shashank Palur and Muhil Nesi. Here are the key insights from the report. Water management in Bengaluru Rashmi…

The monsoon is just around the corner, and it will hopefully be bountiful. The water situation in Chennai presently is comfortable with Metro Water officials saying that the city has enough of this precious commodity to tide over one more year, irrespective of how the monsoon fares. The Chembarambakkam reservoir, one of the largest sources of water for the city, is already 85% full, necessitating a release to lower its levels so that it can accommodate further inflow during the monsoon. Elsewhere in the city, stormwater drains are being constructed to carry away water that is likely to otherwise stagnate.…

For the past 13 years, the residents of Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) have awaited piped water connections from the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). Owing to the topography of the area, they do not have access to alternative sources of water like groundwater. This makes many of the residents of OMR completely reliant on private water suppliers. However, with rising costs and frequent threats of strikes by private tankers, residents have begun exploring solutions that reduce their dependence on external water suppliers. To this end, Central Park East, an apartment complex in Sholinganallur, has come up with…

Mohan*, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, has piped water connection from the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) and a borewell connection at his house. However, he has been unable to use both of these sources of water. This is because the groundwater levels are too low to draw water from the borewell and the piped water is mixed with sewage. Mohan has had to buy water from private water tankers in Chennai, regularly spending at least Rs 4,000 a month, to meet his family’s needs. Mohan is one of the many residents across the city reliant on the…

Rani is a 12-year-old young girl studying in 6th grade. She has lived all her life in Ambedkar Nagar in Colaba. Her day usually begins at 5:00 am. In this informal settlement, water comes for two hours and given her family size of five, she and her mother have to ensure that is available for all. Rani’s mother is a daily wage worker and leaves for her work as early as 6:00-6:30 am. It is up to Rani to ensure enough water for the household. “Kabhi-kabhi paani nahi aata hai time pe, isliye main school se chutti leti hu,” (There…

“Earlier, we would wash clothes by the riverside. But later we dug up bore wells in all dhobi ghats, which have become our main source of water,” says Mahalingayya, president of Karnataka Rajya Madikatte Ghataka that oversees the functioning of dhobi ghats across Karnataka. In Bengaluru, each dhobi ghat has at least two borewells. However, water scarcity is still an issue. The solution is using recycled water. But the cost and maintenance of water treatment plants are of primary concern. Water usage in dhobi ghats Each dhobi ghat uses varying quantities of water on a daily basis. The average can…

Mission Antyodaya database aims to create granular data for gram panchayats across districts throughout the country. The intention, as stated in Union Budget 2017-18, is to create a convergence and accountability framework by tracking the various development indicators across Gram Panchayats (GP). In Karnataka, the database provides information about infrastructure and schemes at the household level. I analysed the indicator of ‘Piped Water Connections’ across gram panchayats in Bengaluru. Under the ambit of Jal Jeevan Mission, the State government intends to achieve Goal 6 of Sustainable Development Goal, i.e., safe and affordable water for all, through provision of safe water…

Like many suburban areas of Chennai, Chitlapakkam has seen tremendous growth but the civic amenities and services have failed to keep up with the needs of the people. Residents of the area have banded together to fight for their rights and ensure that they are able to enjoy a better quality of life.  It is because of the spirit of the residents that the connectivity in the area has improved in recent times. Our campaign has brought back the S3 minibus to Chitlapakkam, along with the introduction of another minibus, the S100.  Buoyed by this success, residents have begun to…