#WorldWaterDay - The Bangalore WATER Crisis

For sometime I wanted to write few lines about Bangalore water crisis. And what better day to write about, other than today, the #WorldWaterDay. 

I have a long relationship with the city. In 90's I lived in the city for 6 years when I was studying in Indian Institute of Science and then my first job here. I loved the city more than any other Indian city, because of it's people, beauty, weather. Its weather was so good that, we used to call it "The Air Conditioned City", there were so many trees were here that we used to call this "The Garden City". After living in the US for some years, when I decided to come back, there was only one city that came in my mind, it was Bangalore. Last 3 years I am living here. The city is totally changed in last decade or so. The population has gone up by almost 10 folds since 90's. Everywhere concrete jungle. No space left for making new roads or plantation. Oh, sorry I am deviating from what I wanted to write... the water crisis.

- Recently there was a news came in BBC that Bangalore is the 2nd most likely city in the world, would run out of drinking water ( http://www.bbc.com/news/world-42982959 ).

- In TimesOfIndia there is another news came that Bangalore is heading to Day Zero ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/water-crisis-is-bluru-heading-for-day-zero/articleshow/62893432.cms ).

- Another news came in TimesOfIndia that the water crisis is all about "Man Made" ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-faces-man-made-water-crisis/articleshow/63342069.cms ).

Although news papers cover some aspect of water crisis in Bangalore, but if you ask the residents here, you will know about the dire situation here. More than 50% plus of water-source in Bangalore is underground water and if you visit Bangalore you will see water tankers are everywhere, very fragile water situation. Builders are building taller and taller towers, but ask them about drinking water, they would have no answer other then deep bore wells.

In 90's there were more than 100 lakes here in and around Bangalore, but that number has gone down drastically ( WHO and WHY? figure out! - and here https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bengaluru-activists-raise-alarm-over-illegal-dumping-pattandur-lake-area-again-77137 ), -- only few left. Remember, lakes and ponds increases the ground water level too and Bangalore gets waterfall at least 6 months a year. But lakes are pouted to the utmost extent, not cleaned, filled with common water hyacinth, chemicals, sewage. A picture Varthur Lake here, could help visualize the condition a little clearly.

Although few lakes are cleaned recently, but most of the lakes are dirty, you don't even want to dip your feet into those, forget about other use. Have you heard about "Bellandur Lake Pollution", if not search and read.

Still some of the good positive things to mention here -

• There are some apartment complexes now do rain water harvesting.
• People have in generally a positive mentality of saving and conserving water. (To mention, I have seen in the US, they use almost 10 times more water than people here.)
• Recently, and hopefully, a better portion of Cauvery water will be flowing to the city.

Bangalore is growing, and growing fast. I have fear we will really see Day Zero soon if we do not take steps now. "Silicon Valley of India" will soon DIE if we do not have any sympathy/care towards betterment of this beautiful city. Time is NOW!