Bengaluru Second-Most Likely City In The World To Run Out Of Water: Heres What Can Be Done To Avoid This
Representational Image Credit: Eenadu India

Bengaluru Second-Most Likely City In The World To Run Out Of Water: Here's What Can Be Done To Avoid This

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During the advertisement segments between shows, most of us remember watching an awareness video made by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2010. The video talked about a future without water. It said that by the year 2070, people would fight for even a drop of water. Like every most, we were hardly bothered.

Today with Cape Town, South Africa, becoming the first modern city to run out of water in the two months, Dr Kalam’s words in the decade-old video turn into a sombre reality.



In a list published by BBC, India’s Silicon Valley Bengaluru is listed as the second city after Sao Paolo, Brazil to run out of water. This is mostly because of rapid and unplanned development and extreme contamination of freshwater resources. Bengaluru’s inclusion in the list should be a wake-up call for the entire country.


Expert speaks

Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO of Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said to The Logical Indian, “What needs to be done urgently is that BWSSB should put out a plan of how they will meet the water requirements this year. Last year, they had to access the dead storage of KRS dam for water. This can be avoided if they start planning from now.”

He said that BWSSB has claimed to reduce unaccounted water from 46% to 37%. They should also disclose how the deduction was achieved. He says, “Whether the leakages were plugged or how the theft has been stopped should be revealed.” Until and unless all the officials are honest, thefts will continue.

“Bengaluru’s water future is definitely at risk. Poor have been suffering from insufficient water supply and will continue to suffer. The fate of lakes has a direct impact on the groundwater and if the state of affairs continue as they are, water scarcity will increase. Cauvery water is required for our farmers as well for irrigation and should not be overused only for drinking water supply of Bengaluru,” Sridhar expresses with concern.

Rain is very important this year. He says that last year too, Bengaluru did not receive the appropriate amount of heavy showers as it should have. “Most of the heavy showers till mid-August are very important for the catchment areas to fill up. If that does not happen, then we should brace ourselves for the impending danger.”

The biggest problem is the concretisation of Bengaluru. He mentions that because of the concretisation, surface water and rainwater is not going inside the soil.


What can citizens do?

“Only citizens movements can reclaim Bengaluru from builders and crooked government agencies who continue to be apathetic to the suffering of our lakes,” Sridhar says.

As citizens, we need to be more aware of the facilities that are already available. “Mandatory rainwater harvesting should be adopted by everybody. Citizens should themselves ensure that the government officials are willing to sensitise people regarding the same.”

Also, as citizens, we should ensure that lakes are not encroached upon. “Officials should also make sure that industrial pollutants and construction debris should not end up in lakes.”

The Logical Indian urges all stakeholders – citizens, corporations and the government – to stop and think of solutions. If the video that Mr Kalam made becomes a reality, our future generations are doomed.


Also Read:

Bengaluru’s Dying Lakes; 90% Polluted, 98% Encroached, Only 4 In Good Condition

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Editor : Poorbita Bagchi

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