On careful observation, you’ll realise that the Bangalore water crisis is an ironic situation because we are facing a water shortage on a planet whose surface is covered two-thirds in water. Undoubtedly, India’s Silicon Valley is shriveling. Let’s delve deeper into the threatening Bangalore water crisis and discover lesser-known aspects and actionable steps to conserve water.

Understanding Bangalore's Water Crisis: Causes and Impacts

The Bangalore water crisis is real. The famous IT city has access to around 1,850 million litres per day (MLD), however, it needs at least 1,680 MLD more to end the crisis.

Root Cause of the Crisis

Water scarcity in Bangalore arose from a simple imbalance where demands outpaced supply. The deficit is expected to worsen as the population is projected to boom to 20.3 million by 2031. Another reason is the major dependence on the Cauvery as Bangalore’s natural water storage systems are in disarray. 

The IT city once known for tanks, lakes and supplemented water needs has now become prey to pollution and encroachment leading to the Bangalore water crisis. This calls for an urgent requirement to revive these natural lifelines.

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Impact on Business, Residents and Ecosystem

Bangalore's water shortage has not only transcended households but has also disturbed schools, businesses and the natural ecosystem on the whole. Schools are forced to shut down to find alternative water sources, thus disrupting the education of thousands of students. 

In the same way, SMEs, industries, and businesses are facing production disruptions due to the Bangalore water crisis.

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10 Actionable Tips for Conserving Water in Bangalore

1. To get rid of the Bangalore water crisis, there won’t be any easy solutions but a multi-pronged approach like better lake management, rainwater harvesting, and stricter laws against water misuse. The collective responsibility would be to build awareness and encourage water-saving practices in residential and business areas, holding authorities accountable and fostering a collective effort.
2. Demand can be reduced by encouraging industries and households to opt for water-saving practices like using low-flow showerheads, fixing leaks, reusing greywater for gardening, etc.
3. Promoting rainwater harvesting is a traditional approach to putting an end to the Bangalore water crisis. Significantly reducing the dependence on piped water and gently using the water from the sinks, and showers for tasks like flushing, gardening, etc.
4. Implementing leak detection and repair programs is highly beneficial at this stage of the Bangalore water crisis because many leaks go unnoticed and this can drastically reduce the overall water loss.
5. Reducing wastage and ensuring efficient water distribution from Bangalore’s main source - The Cauvery River. That being said, water management systems need to be worked on.
6. Bangalore’s historic tanks and lakes can be restored, revitalized and protected for water storage as this can bring an end to the Bangalore water crisis.
7. Alternative water sources like desalination and wastewater treatment for supplementing freshwater supplies can be done with careful scrutinization and investment in infrastructure.
8. Above all, enforcing structure rules on industry water usage must be enforced. Heavy penalties for the waste of water can incentivize conservation. Moreover, this will raise public awareness and motivate them to adopt sustainable practices.
9. Upgradation of pipelines, water treatment plants and distribution systems can help minimise water loss along with improving overall efficiency. Thus, investing in water infrastructure development can reduce the impact of the water crisis in Bangalore.
10. Since government regulations are already present to ensure that industries don’t waste water, similar regulations could be thought of for residential and commercial institutes. For instance, sub-metering with smart meters could be one of the starting steps in communities, apartment complexes, and offices. Doing this would lead to real-time monitoring of consumption, as well as billing information. This won’t just put a tangible ‘price tag’ on how much water we consume in the space that we frequently occupy, but will also create awareness about saving water.

Simply put, it’s time to spread awareness in your community about water conservation, support organisations and groups on water conservation in Bangalore and donate, encourage and volunteer for the same. 

Solutions for Bangalore Water Crisis

One of the most effective Bangalore water conservation methods is ‘The Million Wells For Bengaluru’ campaign which aims to build 1 million shallow wells with a traditional well-digging technique. It is an initiative to revive the city's traditional water systems, practices and historical elements for water management and ecological sustainability. 

Supported by the Bangalore Sewerage Board and Water Supply, it is designed by the local engineering and environment studio Biome Environmental Trust and has been implemented by numerous stakeholders including agencies that provide funds, different types of support and local communities actively engaged in the same. The project is expected to reach the zenith by 2025.

What is the Government Doing to Tackle this Issue?

According to the Karnataka Government, insufficient rainfall leading to the decline in the Cauvery River’s water level is one of the major causes of water scarcity in Bangalore. From drinking water to irrigation, the Bangalore water crisis has impacted the residents, industries, schools, businesses and so many more in multiple ways. To tackle the issue, the Karnataka government has adopted the following approaches:

• A control room has been established by The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in its head office to manage water supply adversity in 110 villages across 35 wards. 
• Nodal offices have been appointed by the civic body to manage drinking water issues in different parts of the city. 
• D.K. Shivkumar, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister announced the seizure of unregistered water tankers if they fail to register themselves with the authorities within a specific deadline. 
• Officials are also instructed to utilize unused milk tankers to manage water supply. Until the pressing issue is fixed, tankers owned by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will be used to provide water in Bengaluru. 
• The CM also announced that a total budget of INR 556 crores has been allocated to address the Bangalore water crisis. Every MLA in Bengaluru has been granted INR 10 crore to manage water scarcity in their respective constituencies. 

To briefly conclude, the BBMP has set aside INR 148 crore and the BWSSB has earmarked INR 128 crore to put an end to the Bangalore water crisis.

The Role of Smart Water Meters in Tackling Bangalore's Water Crisis

Unlike traditional water meters, smart meters are a go-getter as they provide real-time data on water consumption, detect leaks promptly, enable consumers to monitor their usage, identify water conservation opportunities and so much more. Kritsnam Technologies is here leading the way to revolutionise water management with smart meter solutions.

Water Meter VS No Water Meter

Without water meters, it becomes difficult to monitor usage and manage resources efficiently, while with the implementation of water meters, water conservation and accountability are promoted. Water meters are empowering as they help make informed decisions about consumption and take proactive steps to reduce wastage. 

Kritsnam’s Industrial Water Meter for Businesses

Dhaara Smart is the wisest choice for businesses as it helps businesses switch to smarter ways of water resource management using simple IOT-driven solutions with trending sensor technologies. Managing water consumption becomes a cakewalk with integrated telemetry and battery-powered capabilities even when the power is down.

Dhaara Ultrasonic Industrial Flow Meter

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The Dhaara is a new-age water meter that combines the power of IoT with the latest sensor technologies. The integrated telemetry and battery-powered capabilities make it easy to manage your water consumption from anywhere and anytime (even when the power is down).

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Kritsnam’s Domestic Water Meter for Residential Purposes 

Supported by Villgro, IIT Kanpur, Social Alpha, Millennium Alliance, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Department of Science & Technology and USAID, Kritsnam’s domestic water meter for residential purposes has a vision of data-driven water management to use fresh water sustainably. The compact and low-power consuming IoT-enabled instruments help mine water data to gauge valuable insights to improve water efficiency. With Bangalore’s water crisis, people are waking up back to reality and adopting sustainable options for water conservation.

Community Initiatives In Bangalore To Save Water 

With Bengaluru facing the biggest water crises in its history with diminishing reservoirs, parched borewells, declining groundwater levels, water supply cuts and women holding empty buckets in long queues, the Bangalore water crisis seems neverending. 

Initiatives by locals as Bangalore water management strategies

‘The Green Star Challenge’ was launched within the city to conserve water in hotels and restaurants on World Water Day and the first one to join the challenge was Shangri-La-Hotel. An innovative programme led by V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to make Bengaluru water-sufficient. However, there are many local initiatives taken by the locals too. 

• Resident's welfare associations have come forward to take borewell recharge initiatives through smart meters for water pressure control mechanisms. Locals from T-ZED Homes in Whitefield have adopted passive recharging of groundwater with aquifers and are actively working with water experts to recharge the borewells.
• Residents of Purva Sunshine in Kaikondrahalli are in water rationing mode which they’ve been doing with the help of smart meters. 
• Residents on Thanisandra Main Road have established a youth group focussed on raising awareness about water usage.

Along with the above, other measures include maximising water efficiency with a rainwater harvesting system to bring water pressure under control and reduce the usage in bathrooms, wash basins, kitchen sinks, etc. With this, the future of water supply in Bangalore will improve with not-for-profit organisations supporting and private donors like Wipro pitching in. 

Eradicating the Bangalore Water Crisis with Kristnam 

Bangalore's water crisis demands urgent implementation to conserve water and eradicate the shortage by embracing smart water meter technology measures like Dhaara Smart, adapting to community initiatives, supporting government efforts, and collectively working towards a sustainable water future in Bangalore.

With the ability to manage your water consumption, Dhaara Smart by Kritsnam makes sure to safeguard the precious primary resource for future generations.