| Syllabus: GS- III, Subject: Ecology and Environment, Topic: Disasters, Issue: Man Made disasters |
Context: Bengaluru faces severe water shortage due to Karnataka’s worst drought in four decades.
Reasons behind Bangalore water crisis:
- Geographical Setting:
- Bengaluru lacks proximity to major rivers or coasts for water sourcing.
- Urbanization:
- Urban expansion has led to the depletion of water repositories.
- Concretisation has hindered groundwater recharge efforts in Bengaluru.
- Reliance on man made lakes for potable water has declined over the past 30 years.
- Governance:
- Successive governments ignored alarm bells from experts.
- Water supply infrastructure has not kept pace with the city’s rapid urbanization.
- Lake catchments have been degraded by dumping municipal waste.
- Governance deficit at the municipal level- neglecting effective solutions such as rainwater harvesting and wastewater reuse.
Steps taken by authorities to address water crisis:
- Strict measures to prevent the misuse of potable water.
- Fixed rates for water tankers delivering to residential areas.
- Taking control over private bore wells in and around the city.
Conclusion:
- Groundwater use in India surpasses aquifer recharge rates.
- Bengaluru’s water crisis serves as a warning for major cities across India.
| +1 Advantage for mains (Data Point)● The Niti Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) predicts groundwater depletion in 21 cities by 2030.
● Failure to implement mitigation measures could lead to a 6% GDP loss for India by 2050. ● A 2017 study by Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute revealed severe pollution in 85% of Bengaluru’s remaining water bodies. |
