First floods, now dry days: Decoding tech hub Bengaluru’s water woes

"Tanker prices have distinctly increased, groundwater levels have gone down, and BWSSB supply has become infrequent and unpredictable. We are focusing on creating awareness about efficient water consumption. We need to be at least 30-50 percent more efficient in using available resources." he adds.

How did we get here?

Experts say a weak southwest monsoon, encroachments on water bodies, reduced levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs, failure in enforcing rainwater harvesting systems, and an inadequate number of sewage treatment plants are among the primary reasons for the current water crisis. "We are providing adequate supply in places where Cauvery connections are available,” BWSSB chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar told Moneycontrol. “The issue is in the 110 villages (outer areas) added to the BBMP limits in 2008. We are planning to complete the Cauvery V Stage by May 2024."

"Cauvery is overexploited and requires conservation in all sectors, primarily agriculture, by both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,” said Raj Bhagat, manager (Sustainable Cities Programme) at World Resources Institute India, an NGO.

“Any year with average or less-than-average rainfall would result in a drought or water crisis, not just for Bengaluru. This necessitates research and investment. Bengaluru has overgrown considering its geography. Growth across the country and within the state must be diversified to next-tier cities. This would require investments in the same direction. Bengaluru can't depend on the Cauvery River alone due to the risk involved. The failure of rainfall upstream last season has led to the crisis this year. The city has to judiciously use the water it has, utilise the rainfall within the city (harvest), and reuse wastewater." said Bhagat.

Sandeep Anirudhan, founder of Coalition for Water Security, an NGO, pegged the problem to Bengaluru’s “unplanned growth."

"The state has a water policy, but it hasn’t yet been implemented. Water shortage is prevalent throughout the city, but it is being managed slightly better within the core city areas and poorly handled elsewhere."

He said that Bengaluru brings Cauvery water from 100 km away, which is energy-inefficient and heavily subsidised. "This has prompted us to disregard our lakes and destroy a majority of them. Whatever is left … have become cesspools or sewage treatment plants. Our ancestors created tanks/lakes to increase groundwater recharge. For existing lakes also, no desilting work is happening. Stormwater drains should have percolation pits to improve the groundwater table but there is no political will. Politicians are interested in big water projects like Mekedatu and Yettinahole, which could destroy our forests and ecosystem further."

A closer look at Bengaluru

Bengaluru, with a population of nearly 1.3 crore, largely relies on Cauvery water pumped from 100 km away to a height of 540 metres. The BWSSB says it supplies 1,450 MLD (million litres per day) of water from the TK Halli pumping station in the neighbouring Mandya district. This pumping costs the state government roughly Rs 50 crore every month.

The piped treated water supply for the city started by drawing water from Hesaraghatta Lake in 1896, when the city’s population touched 2.5 lakh. It was further augmented by the Thippagondanahalli reservoir, both of which were connected to the Arkavathi river basin, which is nearly dry today.

The BWSSB supplies water to nearly 10.75 lakh households in Bengaluru. Though it pumps 1,450 MLD of fresh water from the Cauvery River, the present demand is 2,100 MLD. This gap of 650 MLD is being filled by borewell connections and tanker supplies. Additionally, 775 MLD under Cauvery Stage-5 will be pumped to 110 villages in the suburbs once it is completed by May 2024.

According to the Karnataka Economic Survey 2021-22, the shortfall in water supply is estimated to go up to 1450 MLD by 2031. "Greater Bengaluru spans 1,250 km and receives an average annual rainfall of 750 mm per year. It is expected to yield about 33 TMC of water. The use of water from the vast network of stormwater drains, together with the rejuvenation of lakes from the STPs, which gets diluted with rainwater, helps in recharging the groundwater. However, Bengaluru and other major cities have a much poorer network of stormwater drainage systems compared to many smaller cities," the survey said.

By 2031, water demand is projected to jump to 5,340 MLD in the city to serve a projected population of over 20 million. Of this, 3,920 MLD will be needed for domestic use, according to the Revised Master Plan 2031 for Bengaluru.

Tech hubs worst hit

In areas where the BWSSB does not provide water supply, apartment complexes, and commercial/industrial establishments have been extracting a large quantity of groundwater from deep aquifers. Out of the 10,955 public borewells in the city, 1,214 have run dry, and the water level in another 3,700 borewells has fallen. The BWSSB has identified 257 areas in the city as water-stressed.

The BBMP says it has also identified 58 locations, mostly in the tech corridors. The areas with the maximum number of locations facing acute water shortages are Mahadevapura, RR Nagar, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka and Dasarahalli zones. While older areas of Bengaluru like Jayanagar, Basavangudi, Vijayanagar and Malleswaram and surrounding areas aren’t badly affected, tech hubs Whitefield, Electronics City, Marathahalli, Nagawara, and Bagalur are reeling from a severe water scarcity.

"We have identified sensitive areas facing severe water crises and are using borewells to supply water until the water supply project is completed. We are also planning to rejuvenate the borewells that have gone dry," BWSSB chairman Manohar said.

Thanks to Kempegowda International Airport and the under-construction Metro line, the northern parts of the city are witnessing rapid development, with more tech firms setting up offices there in the past few years. State government officials said that both the Cauvery Stage-V project and Yattinahole project, which will bring water to areas closer to the airport and Devanahalli, will ensure drinking water for North Bengaluru.

Also, read: North Bengaluru turns city’s new hotspot, as infrastructure and business lead the way

Future tense?

The Cauvery River is the main source of drinking water for Bengaluru and other towns and villages located in the catchment. Given the scant rainfall over the basin, Bengaluru is expected to face a severe drinking water issue.

According to data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), the water level of Cauvery Basin reservoirs (Harangi, Hemavathi, KRS, Kabini) is 39 percent of their total capacity as of February 28. The gross capacity of Cauvery Basin reservoirs is 114.57 TMC, and the current water level is 44.65 TMC. Last year during the same time, the Cauvery basin reservoirs had 64.61 TMC of water.

Recently, the BWSSB wrote to Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) to reserve 1.6 TMC of water every month until March and 2.42 TMC from April to meet Bengaluru’s needs from the Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoirs. CNNL officials said the water level in the Cauvery Basin reservoirs is presently the lowest since 2017. They are optimistic about managing the water crisis until the end of May and expressed the hope that the inflow to the reservoirs will increase with the onset of the South West monsoon in June.

In 2018, the BBC carried a report that listed 11 cities across the globe most likely to run out of drinking water, such as Cape Town. Only one Indian city, Bengaluru, made the list.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said an estimated 20% of people living in Bengaluru depend on private tanker operators for drinking water. He said the solution to this problem is the proposed Mekedatu reservoir project, which the government is making efforts to bring to fruition. “Bengaluru’s population is increasing by 10 lakh every year, and it will become difficult for the authorities to supply drinking water to all. We will need 6.5 TMC more Cauvery water to meet the demand in Bengaluru. It will be our responsibility to provide drinking water to all,” he said.

Water tanker startup sees 100x demand surge

Tankerwala, a mobile app that enables users to book water tankers across Bengaluru and get them delivered to their apartments, is experiencing "100 times higher demand” than the general average. Shravanth Donthi, founder & CEO of Tankerwala, told Moneycontrol: "The demand has increased immensely. I received orders for at least 46 lakh litres daily on average for the last week. This is 100 times higher than average. The maximum demand we are getting is from Kanakapura Road, Nagawara, Jayanagar, Banashankari, Jakkur, Whitefield, Marathahalli, and KR Puram. The demand was less than half of this in February 2023."

"The water situation is extremely grim. We cannot get more water from the Cauvery River, and our groundwater table is overexploited. Continuing to extract more water from the ground is highly unsustainable,” said Donthi. “This is just the beginning of tough times in our city. Our pricing has also increased as the whole city is out of water, with a general average of Rs 170/KL and sewage-treated water for secondary applications at around Rs 90/KL."

"We are supplying sewage-treated water for construction to reduce demand for freshwater," Donthi added.

The startup provides water within 12-14 hours of booking. "We are helping larger communities with complete water management. We are also assisting communities in selling their treated sewage to generate revenue," he adds.

Encroached lakes and poor sewage treatment

A recent report by WELL Labs, titled ‘How Water Flows through Bengaluru: Urban Water Balance Report,’ by Rashmi Kulranjan, Shashank Palur, and Muhil Nesi from WELL (Water, Environment, Land, and Livelihoods) Labs, states, "Bengaluru’s water problems may seem contradictory. In the height of summer, borewells and lakes dry up, and tankers supply water from afar. During the monsoon, large parts of the city face severe flooding. But these problems are interconnected. With abundant rainfall (>900mm annually over the last five years) and little room for recharge, wells run dry as drains overflow. Despite being allocated water from the Cauvery River, the expanding city, particularly the newer suburbs, has become increasingly dependent on a fast-depleting resource – groundwater. Moreover, even as consumption has increased, the amount of wastewater treated by centralised infrastructure remains low,” it said.

"Public water supply, delivered by the BWSSB, is concentrated in central areas of the city, where the population is lower than in rapidly growing suburbs. Where public infrastructure is absent, consumers, including a majority of commercial entities, have turned to groundwater accessed through private borewells, tankers, and open wells," it said.

Encroachment of water bodies is another concern. In 2017, then-state Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa said 744 lakes out of the 837 in Bengaluru have suffered encroachments. He said that a total of 2,340 acres of lake/lakebed areas had been encroached upon by 4,247 persons in the Bengaluru Urban district. Many of these lakes have been converted into bus stations, stadiums, and residential layouts, and only a few survive now.

"Centralised sewage treatment plants in Bengaluru treat only about 1,239 MLD, which is 63 percent of the total wastewater generated. Decentralised treatment plants supplement public infrastructure with a capacity of around 250 MLD. However, these are more challenging to manage and monitor. The remaining wastewater goes untreated, often finding its way into lakes and groundwater. Untreated wastewater amounts to at least 24 percent of the total wastewater generated," the WELL Labs report said.

Although the Karnataka Ground Water Authority (KGWA) is tasked with inspecting and identifying all illegal borewells in the city, a lack of manpower has restricted its operations. While private tankers are required to obtain a trade licence from the BBMP, many operate without one. Previous proposals to regulate water quality and establish price lists for water tankers remain unimplemented.

Minimal rainwater harvesting

According to the BWSSB Amendment Act, 2011, a Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) system is mandatory for all properties on plots measuring 60X40 sq ft and above, as well as for new properties coming up on 30X40 sq ft sites. Though the regulations were put in place and penalties were introduced for non-compliant properties, the majority still do not have an RWH system.

Suresh B, Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, told Moneycontrol, "The increasing dependency on Cauvery water due to drying borewells has reduced water pressure in certain areas in the core city area. The water shortage problem for the 110 villages added to the BBMP in 2008 will be resolved once the Cauvery V Stage work is completed. Currently, we have 68 water tankers through which we are supplying water in those areas. We are also relying on public borewells to provide water in those areas."

He said that 10.75 lakh houses in Bengaluru have water connections, but only around 2 lakh have implemented rainwater harvesting systems. "We have been imposing fines on violators," said Suresh.

On private tankers taking advantage of the situation, he explained that trade licenses for private tankers are issued by BBMP and that it doesn’t fall within their ambit. "We don't have any provision to take action against them."

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said the state government has mandated the registration of water tankers in the city by March 7. "Vehicles unregistered after March 7 will be seized by the civic body and used to supply water to dry areas in 110 villages free of cost. We will also be fixing the maximum price for water tankers," he said.

Noting that the state government had declared three taluks of Bengaluru Urban district as drought-hit, Nath explained that it has special powers under The Disaster Management Act, 2005, which would be invoked to take stringent action.

Currently, there are around 3,500 tankers in the city, but only around 60 have obtained a licence from the corporation.

Time to wake up: Bengaluru South MP

"Bengaluru has 11,000 borewells under the control of BWSSB and a whopping 4.5 lakh private borewells. Of these, close to 40% have either dried up or have precariously low levels of water," said Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.

"In the period between 2017 and 2024, while the supply of Cauvery has remained at 1450 MLD, the demand has drastically increased to unprecedented levels. More than 1.5 lakh new water connections, including to large apartments, have come up within this period itself. There is a grave discrepancy between the demand and supply," said Surya.

"Unbridled construction, unprecedented migration, deterioration of the lake ecosystem, and mindless white topping and concretisation of the city preventing adequate recharge have all contributed to the current water crisis," he said.

"What was once the city of 1,000 lakes, parks, and rivers like Vrishabhavati and Arkavathi, now stares at a bleak future. This is the time to wake up, avoid petty political tussles, and address this issue in unison on a war footing," he added.

How the government plans to fight the problem

In his 2024-2025 budget speech, CM Siddaramaiah announced that the BWSSB would operationalise Phase-5 of the Cauvery project, with a capacity of 775 MLD, providing 110 litres of drinking water daily to 12 lakh people at an estimated cost of Rs 5,550 crore, in May 2024.

The 110 villages in the city's peripheral areas, including Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bommanahalli, Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, KR Puram, and Byatarayanapura will benefit from the Japan-funded Cauvery Water Supply Stage V project, which faced multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pending permissions from the National Highway Authority of India.

"Under Cauvery Phase-5, underground drainage works will be completed by December 2024. This involves laying 228 km of drainage pipeline and constructing 13 STPs with a capacity to treat 100 MLD of sewage water," said Siddaramaiah.

The CM said that seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) will be upgraded at a cost of Rs 441 crore, facilitating the daily treatment and reuse of 268 MLD of sewage water. Phase-II of the scheme, supplying drinking water to 110 villages added to the BBMP limits, will be implemented at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

A separate project division and two sub-divisions have already been set up to implement the Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project of the Cauvery River valley, he said. "A pre-commissioning test has been conducted by discharging water to the delivery chamber near Doddanagara under the Yettinahole integrated drinking water project,” he added.

Also, read: MC Explains | How severe is India’s water crisis and why it is likely to worsen