SubhashChandra NS

J
ust adecade ago, Thindlu
lake (alsoknownas Dodda-
bommasandralake) was sur-
roundedby goodvegetationand
hadhighgroundwater table. That
changedquickly withthe forma-
tionof newlayouts inthe region,
leadingtothe drastic decline in
the groundwater table. The good
lake whichonce was home tohun-
dreds of migratory birds is now
dry, despite the rejuvenation by
the State Government inthe year
2000. The residents around
Thindluare nowfacingasevere
water crisis withthe water level
havingdippedbelow700feet.
Thesituationfacedby theresi-
dents of KoramangalaGames Vil-
lageis not muchdifferent. The
vegetationhas beenremovedand
replacedwithconcretestructures
of stadiumandapartments, that
has preventedrainwater seepage.
As aresult, thewater tablehas
gonedownby 600feet andthe
residents arefeelingtheheat of
water scarcity.
It is evident fromtheseexam-
ples that vegetationplays asignifi-
cant roleinrechargingthe
groundwater tableandtheCitys
growingbuilt-upareais thereason
for thedepletionof water sources.
Experts at theIndianInstitute
of Science(IISc) citeseveral exam-
ples about howvegetationrichar-
eas likeits campus haveseenanin-
creaseinwater table.
Landcover is important inde-
cidingwater availability. Vegeta-
tionallows percolationandenrich-
es thewater table,says Dr TV
Ramachandra, Senior Scientist,
Energy andWetlandResearch
Centre(EWRC), Centrefor Eco-
logical Sciences (CES) at IISc.
Explainingthephenomenon
howvegetationallows thewater to
beretained, Dr Ramachandra
says: Recharginggroundwater
requires 30-40per cent of open
spacewithvegetation. Thevegeta-
tionmakes soil pervious andhelps
inpercolation.
Thevegetationholds thewater
fillinginthesaturatedzonefirst,
thenthesecondlayer abovesatu-
ratedzoneknownas widowzone,
is filledup. Therunoff seeninthe
monsoonis aphenomenonwhich
happens only whenboththelayers
arefilled.
Citingtheexamples of KRPu-
ram, WhitefieldandITPLregions,
Dr Ramachandranotes that these
places havelost vegetationdrasti-
cally. Increasedvegetation, asserts
Dr Ramachandra, is thesolution
todepletedgroundwater table.
But thebest results wouldcomeif
thevegetationis of nativespecies.
His study hadfoundthat thena-
tivespecies withtheir root struc-
tures percolates water muchmore
thanforeignspecies. Thenative
plant species havelowrateof tran-
spirationandhighrateof
recharge,heexplains.
Vegetationloss has
transformedBangalore:
Theconsequences of urbande-
velopment areincreasedpeakdis-
chargeandfrequency of floods. As
landis convertedfromfields or
woodlands toroads andparking
lots, it loses its ability toabsorb
rainwater.
Conversionof water bodies to
residential layouts has compound-
edtheproblemby removingthe
interconnectivities inanundulat-
ingterrain. Encroachment of nat-
ural drains, alterationof topogra-
phy aretheprimereasons for
frequent floodingevenduringnor-
mal rainfall post 2000.
Theurbanisationprocess in
Bangalorehas resultedinloss of
aquatic ecosystems by 79per cent
during1973-2010intheerstwhile
BangaloreCity limits and75per
cent declineinvegetation.
Long-termplans
Adamwithacapacityof 45TMCnear Meke-
datu is a major part of BWSSB's long-term
strategytoaddress theCity's water shortage.
BoththeKarnatakaandtheTamil Nadugov-
ernments along with the Centre are to be
partners in this mega project.
Alsoontheagendais ahydropower plant
and to build a huge reservoir at the gauge-
point where surplus water will be let out to
Tamil Nadu.
The plan is to pump three to four tmc of
water toThorekadanaHalli (TKHalli) which
CMYK
2 DECCANHERALD B Sunday, January2, 2011
Thirstingfor more!
proposals.
Protectionof indigenous water resources
is high on Thyagaraja's agenda.
River Arakavathi, whichoriginates from
Nandi Hills and river Kumudavathi from
Shivaganga needs immediate attention by
protecting and rejuvenating them for our
water conservation. The Government must
take stringent action against sand mining
andunauthorisedirrigationpumpsetswhich
is hampering the river catchment area,
Thyagaraja says.
Since Bangalore is landlocked and does
not have any major river, its development
would be restricted, warns Thyagaraja. For
that not to happen, the Government had to
wake up, for instance, to stop the indiscrim-
inate sinking of borewells. Unlike in Tamil
Nadu, whichhas adequateregulations, Kar-
nataka does not have any lawprotectingthe
ground water.
The acute water crisis of 2010was prima-
rilybecauseof thisgroundwaterdepletion. In
manyareas suchas KRPuramandMahade-
vapura, the groundwater has depleted to
suchalarminglevels that not adropcouldbe
foundevenat adepthof 1,000ft. Incidental-
ly, there are about 4,000 borewells dug by
BWSSB and another 1,000 drilled by the
BBMP.
Poornima Nataraj
B
oomingBangaloresthirst forwater
peaked in 2010. Those living on
the new Bruhat Bangalore Ma-
hanagara Palike (BBMP) areas
struggled through the year, find-
ing it tough to quench their thirst. The New
Year will seeincreaseindemand. Is theBan-
galore Water Supply and Sewerage Board
(BWSSB) prepared? Are Bangaloreans pre-
pared? Is the Government ready to combat
another crisis that is suretohit theCityinan-
other three months?
TheBWSSB, readywithmanyplansonpa-
per, is certain that the water demand will
onlyrisethis year. For, Bangalorehas noma-
jor river and the existing tributaries are all
polluted. As the Board chairman himself
puts it, Bangalore needs 1,125 mld (million
litres per day) but only 900 mld of water is
being suppliednow. There is demandfor an
additional 225 mld.
In 2002, there were only 3,10,000 water
connections in the City, which almost dou-
bledto6,23,000by2010. Asmanyas35,000
newconnections were added annually.
WiththeCentre's approval, theStateGov-
ernment hadearmarked14.52tmcft of Cau-
very water for drinking water to Bangalore.
Out of this, 6.5tmcft has beenutilisedinthe
III stageand8tmcft for theIVstageII phase
Cauvery water distribution.
As things stand, riverCauverycontinuesto
be virtually the only source of water for the
City. Only three per cent of the total water
supplyissourcedfromtheTippagondanahal-
li (TGHalli) reservoir. Despiteits capacityto
meet alarger requirement, thereservoir has
no defence against the industries and hous-
ing developments. The results are there to
see. BWSSB records state that the reser-
voir's water level dipped from44 ft in 2008
to32ft in2009tobarely20ft last year. It was
almost dry in the summer.
BWSSBAgenda
To address the current water shortage and
the looming threat of the near future,
BWSSB has now come up with an array of
long-termandshort termprojects. This, the
Board believes, will help the City meet the
water demandover thenext 50years. Anex-
pert committee set up by the State Govern-
ment, with former BWSSB Chairman, B N
Thyagaraja as chairman, will workonthese
intense CITY
can be supplied to the City from70kms.
The ambitious-sounding project to draw
waterfromriverKrishnais anotherbiggieon
the BWSSBlist.
The Board has plans to draw 12 tmc ft of
water fromAlamatti damfromadistanceof
400 kms to be supplied to the City. Howev-
er, this project has just beenproposedas the
expert committeeisyet tomeet todiscussthe
subject.
Expert panel chairman Thyagaraja has
also suggested certain projects, which may
not go well with the environmentalists. The
proposal todraw12 tmc ft of water inGorur
damacross river Hemavathi over a distance
of 200 kms, would mean that has to pass
through the Western Ghats.
There are also other contentious propos-
als suchas theonetodivert apart of water of
west-flowing rivers suchas Nethravathi and
Kumaradhana to the east, for irrigation, in-
dustrial anddrinkingpurposes. Water could
bedrawnfromNethravathi toofor irrigation
purpose through a canal formTumkur.
Short-termplans
Curbing water leakage, which currently
stands at a staggering 38 per cent, is one of
BWSSB's immediate plans. Out of the 900
MLD water being pumped from river Cau-
very, nearly342mldis beingwastedthrough
leakages, recorded as 'unaccounted for wa-
ter' (UFW).
Comprehensiveplans arebeingdrawnup
to reduce the UFW. Replacing the old cor-
roded pipelines in many areas of the City is
one measure to reduce leakages.
There are also 'leakage repair gangs' ap-
pointed to attend to complaints reported
throughthe BWSSBCall centre line.
With amendment to the BWSSB Act on
water theft and unauthorised sanitary con-
nections, the Board is set to intensify its in-
spectionof these connections. Stringent ac-
tionisplannedagainst anyonefoundguiltyof
water pilferage. The maximumpunishment
can go up to three years of imprisonment
anda penalty of Rs 5000.
BWSSB is also planning to increase the
number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)
and to distribute the treated water to the in-
dustrial areas. Thyagarajahassuggestedare-
vival of the existing reservoir at Byraman-
gala near Bidadi, where treated water from
Vrishabhavathi valley flows.
Thetreatedwatercanthenbestoredinthe
reservoir and used for irrigation purpose.
Thesurplus of treatedwater fromBellandur
andVarthurLakesflowstoavalleyintoTamil
Nadu. BWSSBhasproposedareservoirtocap
thewaterbeforeit entersTamil Nadu. Getting
thetreatedwater backtotheCityis theplan.
DHNews Service
VOICES
SSURESHKUMAR
BWSSB Minister
PBRAMAMURTHY
Chairman, BWSSB
"There will be water shortage
and we are aware of the sum-
mer situation. There are plans
to introduce an additional 30
water tankers to the City. We
will shortly come up with solu-
tions to fulfil the demand for
water which will be personally
monitored by me every fort-
night."
G Manjusainath
B
orewells might not be the answer to
address the Citys water woes. Yet,
that is one measure the elected rep-
resentatives of Bangalore are banking on
to ward off the crisis in 2011. Three months
fromnow, the summer will showwhether
this strategy holds water.
But there is a new-found hope among
the residents of Mahadevapura, Pulakeshi-
nagar, KRPuramand surrounding places,
areas which face the brunt of the problem
last year. At the beginning of 2010, there
were indications of the impending doom.
Water shortage, which was just beginning
to showduring December-January, snow-
balled into a crisis in mid-summer. This
year, the residents say, they see no such in-
dications.
The severity of water scarcity is limited,
many residents feel. In areas such as Ko-
nanakunte Cross, Yelachenahalli, Uttara-
halli, and Anjanapura, all known for acute
water shortage, hope reigns that this sum-
mer would be more kind to them. People
who used to spend three to four days with-
out a bath, acknowledge an improvement
in the situation.
This year, January has come with a
promising note. We are not facing water
scarcity. The situation has improved,says
Madaiah, a resident of Uttarahalli.
In a majority of the places under the
Bangalore South Assembly constituency,
residents are apparently happy that their
corporators have worked a lot to ensure
proper water supply. The improved water
scenario underlines the fact that the city
needed elected representatives to highlight
their woes in the appropriate forumand
get the lethargic babudomact swiftly. Al-
though an apparent short-termmeasure,
in most of the water-starved areas, new
borewells have been sunk.
For instance, the Uttarahalli ward corpo-
rator Ramesh Raju has sunk 11 borewells.
This has improved the water supply in our
ward. We have kept aside two borewells
fromusage, keeping the summer in mind.
Also, we are buying water tankers to supply
water during summer,says the corpora-
tor.
At least for now, these measures have
yielded fruit, with most households getting
enough water.
But four more months, and the real test
of these borewells will begin to show. From
March through July, the borewell strategy
should work well so as not to precipitate
another crisis. We do not knowhowthe
groundwater table would be in summer,
admits Mahesh, a resident of
Yelachenahalli.
The ward corporator, OManjunath,
agrees the situation is grimin the area.
Borewells have failed because the ground
water table has gone too deep. Cauvery
alone is the answer but that too is not sup-
plied to houses on revenue layouts.
For now, there is improvement in Ko-
nanakunte ward.
The race for water used to begin in Jan-
uary and people riding bicycles with plastic
containers was a common sight. Now, we
have adequate water. Overhead tanks are
spilling over,says Byrappa, a resident.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewer-
age Board, which is finding it difficult to
meet the rising demand for water, has sunk
five to 10borewells in each ward. But de-
spite these measures, whether 2011 would
be a trouble-free year, only the four critical
summer months would tell.
Moreborewells:
Will thestrategy
holdwater?
Inareas like KRPuram
andMahadevapura, the
groundwater has depleted
tosuchalarming levels that
not a dropcouldbe found
evenat a depthof 1,000ft.
"Besides the additional water
tankers, we are alsoplanning to
hire private tankers tosupply
Cauverywater free of cost inthe
coming days toareas that have
noBWSSBconnection. We will
alsointensifyour inspectionon
water theft andtrytoreduce
leakages tomanage water sup-
plyduring summer."
RAMESHRAJU,
Corporator,
Uttarahalli
We have sunk 11
newborewells in
the ward. Of these,
we have held in reserve some
unused borewells, keeping the
impending summer in view.
We are also planning to buy
a tanker to supply water
in the ward. We hope the summer
passes off without a major crisis.
CHANDRU,
Shopkeeper, Yelachenahalli
Severe water crisis, which
usually starts in our area during
December-January, has not
begun yet.. Some measures have
been taken in our ward to addr-
ess the problem, but we have to
wait till May when the distress
begins.
Measurestoaddressfuturewater demands
Drawing water fromexisting sources such as Arkavathi andCauvery
Harnessing undergroundwater potential byrecharging andprotecting existing lakes
Reuse of waste water for non-potable purposes after tertiarytreatment
Rain water harvesting in a scientific way
Linking of peninsular rivers such as Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna andCauvery
Diversion of Nethravathi water to Cauverycatchment.
Awareness among public about the importance of water conservation.
Demandandsupply
YEAR POPULATION WATERDEMAND WATERSUPPLY SHORTFALL
(INLAKHS) (MLD) (MLD) (MLD)
2001 53.79 870 540 330
2010 75.00 1125 900 225
2015 88.00 1500 1470 300
2021 100.00 1800 1470 330
2036 125.00 2500 1470 1030
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Howgreenaidsblue
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Treescanraise
groundwatertable
BWSSBhas made grandiose plans to combat Citys impending water crisis this summer, but, corporators rely ongroundwater-depleting borewells.
Heres a searing look at the disconnect.