By Girish Linganna

Mar 19: The people of Bengaluru are facing a severe water crisis, with borewells, lakes and water bodies in the city running dry at an alarming rate because of insufficient rainfall. According to official sources, for their sustenance and everyday needs, roughly 33 per cent of the city’s 13-million (1.3-crore) population is dependent upon groundwater from the city’s 13,900 borewells that are currently excavated to a depth of a minimum of 900 feet—some of them reaching up to 1,500 feet—a stark contrast to 150-200 feet even a few decades ago. 

And, according to the Central Water Commission, Karnataka’s 16 major reservoirs are only 29 per cent full, while it was almost 45 per cent last year. Of these 16, the water levels in 12 are lower than the 10-year average of 40 per cent, says a report in The Hindu. 

The situation is so critical that battalion upon battalion of workers in the country’s tech capital are leaving the city in hordes and plan to work remotely as the condition is likely to worsen because of the impending, harsh summer ahead, with temperatures potentially soaring to 40°C (104°F), further aggravating the water crisis. 

With the city’s natural water bodies drying up, birds and animals are suffering, too. People have witnessed hundreds of birds falling from the sky in a scene reminiscent of the summer of 2019 in Hyderabad. The New Indian Express has said in a report that even sightings of snakes—such as cobras, Russell’s vipers, wolf snakes and rat snakes have a frequent occurrence. 

Last week, the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, DK Shivakumar, stated that around 7,000 borewells in the city had run dry, but the government was taking alternative measures to cope with the crisis. The civic authorities are taking recourse to water-supply tankers to fill the void. But a lack of regulation and poor management are the hallmark of this tanker-supplied water, and its entire process, including sourcing, sanitization, availability and pricing, are uncontrolled. However, the Karnataka government has set a cap on the price of each tanker to prevent overcharging by suppliers. 

Bengaluru, the hub of India’s IT services sector valued at a total of $194 billion—known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, has such euphemisms as the ‘Air-Conditioned City’ and ‘Garden City’. But, with the rapid pace of development, the city is facing a crisis of not just air pollution, but also that of a severe water shortage. Water bodies are filled up overnight and smart highrises come up in their place within months. 

Bengaluru has seen a gradual—but steady transition from being a city of picturesque lakes and tanks to a concrete metropolis. The city’s natural beauty has suffered a rapid death as development encroaches upon its essential water bodies. As Bengaluru’s natural water bodies fall victim to arbitrary development, its groundwater has become the major water source for coping with residents’ needs for drinking, cleaning and managing landscapes. The absence of recycling of whatever water is available has led to its wastage down the drains. 

The city, just as many others in the country, faces periodic water scarcity resulting from excessive—and often needless—groundwater utilization and climate change, that is affecting weather patterns across the globe and putting a lid on vital rainfall. The same situation is seen everywhere! It is no wonder then that the city is in the grip of a water scarcity of frightening proportions. 

The Political Slugfest 

To make matters worse, the BJP—in lip-smacking anticipation of electoral gains the ensuing Lok Sabha polls—has seized upon this misfortune as a campaign card and charged the ruling Congress government in the state with rerouting the waters of the Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, claiming that this had exacerbated the situation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has, justifiably, shrugged off these allegations, underscoring that the scarcity of water would make any such diversion not only improbable, but also impossible! Deputy CM Shivakumar has criticized the BJP for turning the water shortage into a political slugfest, stressing that the state government’s primary focus is to meet its legal responsibilities of supplying water to Tamil Nadu. 

Weather Gods May Relent 

Nowadays, with improved weather prediction models, it is far easier to forecast rain or thundershowers than in the past. And recent predictions say Bangaloreans may not have to wait much longer! Several regions of South Peninsular India—Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, to be specific—have already experienced a certain amount of weekend rainfall activity, says weather.com.

After several light showers in North Interior Karnataka on Sunday, Bengaluru and the rest of South Interior Karnataka are predicted to experience wet weather soon. The India Meteorological Department says Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysuru, Tumkur and Bengaluru districts will experience light rain from Wednesday to Sunday (March 20-23, 2024).

3 Points to Keep in Mind Till Then

o A typical family in the city uses around 150 litres of water daily simply to flush toilets. By recycling this water for toilet flushing, each household can conserve roughly 4,500 litres in just one reuse cycle. This water can also be recycled for cleaning the outdoors and for gardening.

o A single drop of water has the potential to be utilized up to five times 

o When you leave tap water running while brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth, you waste a huge amount of water. By closing the tap during the routine, you can conserve many additional litres of water daily.

(The author Girish Linganna of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)