Government priority should be water first: Experts

Bengaluru: With a large urban population, especially in Bengaluru, Karnataka has turned into a water-stressed state, next only to Rajasthan. This year's World Water Day is being observed at time when the state is reeling under two straight years of drought. Water experts warn that if no big initiatives are taken, Karnataka will soon top the list of water-stressed states.

Mr Kshthij Urs of People's Campaign for Water said, “We do not see any major announcements in the recent budget on water conservation. This show how serious the government is towards the most precious resource. In the recent budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah allotted Rs 42 crore for integrated development of 10 lakes. Without specifying any amounts, he stated that Bellandur and Varthur lakes too would be developed comprehensively.

“A minimum of Rs 20-25 lakh is needed to develop per acre of a lake. Water bodies in Bengaluru stretch to thousands of acres and the amount allocated is meagre. Ironically, roads under the TenderSure project have been given a whopping Rs 250 crore,” Mr Urs said.

The government should play an active role in motivating people to take up rainwater harvesting and also have role models on the use of treated water.
Mr Shivakumar, Principal Investigator, RWH Project, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), said that if the city can tap half of the rainwater it receives, most of its water woes will disappear. “The city receives 23 tmcft of rainwater every year. Even if half of it is tapped, dependence on Cauvery will reduce significantly," he said.

Over 80,000 households have installed RWH on their premises and the groundwater table has seen a significant spike in those regions. RWH should be taken up across the city, covering roads, playgrounds, open spaces and industries, he said. Asked whether the government has woken up late on conserving water, he said, “It is never late. The message of RWH and other measures should be taken to every household in the city.”

Save Bengaluru campaign
Ten NGOs, roped in by the government, will educate the people on steps to conserve water with the help of street plays and demonstrations. Mr Shivakumar, Principal Investigator, RWH project, Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, has been selected as the campaign head. “With three simple steps, a large amount of fresh water can be saved every day at every single household” he said.

1. Used water from washing machines for toilet flushing.
2. Used kitchen sink water to water garden and plants.
3. RO reject for mopping the floor.