WATER FOR BENGALURU :

PEOPLE SHOW THE WAY

Listening to the ground

Engagement with diverse communities in
Bengaluru to help with water
management problems in socially
responsible ways.
Participatory Aquifer mapping in
Yamalur Watershed My well, our water
Engaging with lake groups and facilitating
technical understanding/capacities

RAINBOW DRIVE : HOW

SHOULD WE MANAGE OUR

RAINBOW DRIVE

Location

Sarjapur Road, Bangalore Ground water stressed area

Size

34 acres, approx 350 plots, 258 occupied

Details

Currently governed by Plot owners association (Society)

since 2002.
No BWSSB connection
Dependent on Ground water ( owned bore wells)

Borewells only source

Water scarcity
Drying borewells
Dysfunctional
STPs
Low community
awareness

Entrance:
Prone to Flash
Floods during
Rain

Every household
connection
METERED !!!!

Upto 2005 : Builder promised free water

2005 : Consumption meters installed by
POA separate water tariff (4Rs/KL)
2008 : Water reform begins in Earnest

2007-2008 Water reform

2008 Tariff Change
70

60

50

40
Price per KL

2008
2005

Banning of private borewells

Understand consumption
Understand production costs
Communication & outreach
Invest in sustainability (Rainwater
Harvesting)

30

20

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 60 80

Flooding a big problem. Recharge well

projected as a solution for flooding
Community recharge wells dug for
demonstration
Households invested in recharge at
Household level get Rs 100/discount on bill!

RECHARGE WELLS THREE TYPES

Wells in Storm
water drains
invested in by
House hold
(Just outside the
house - individual
Investment)

Wells in Storm
water drains
invested in by RWA
(Collective
Investment)

Wells inside
the House
(individual
Investment)

This means good SWM

Understanding costs : Tariff revisions

2005 - 2015
Change in tariff over a decade
140
120

2012
2008
2014
2005

100
80
Price per KL

60
40
20
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Water Slabs in KL

Tanker Costs : Rs 150/- to Rs 500 /( Rs 37.5 / KL to Rs 125 / KL)

2008 until now..

8000

7000

350
Total Monthly water
consumption
Per capita consumption

300

6000
250
5000
200
4000
150
3000
100
2000

1000

50

8000

7000

350
Total Monthly water
consumption
Per capita consumption

300

6000
250
5000
200
4000
150
3000

2000

1000

Demand management reducing demand

Per capita drops from 250+ LPCD to approx
150 LPCD
Total demand drops despite increase in
occupancy

100

50

360
340
320
300
280
260
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Total no of occupied plots

Plots complying with RWH

Re-investment in Waste water

reuse

JAKKUR LAKE : WASTE WATER

TREATMENT PLANT

The reuse of treated wastewater

With a constructed wetland further
polishing occurs
Wetlands become bio-diversity spots
Eco-system service functions of water
fulfilled
Groundwater recharge allowed
Fisheries possible

STPs need to be linked to

reuse

Salient Features
Design Capacity

10 MLD

Present Average Inflow 8.5

MLD
Wastewater generation

Yelahanka, Jakkur
Process Adopted
UASB
followed by
Extended Aeration
Wastewater discharged in to
Wetland of Jakkur Lake

UASB Reactor

Treatment Plant and Jakkur Lake

Treated Wastewater entering the wet

Land System of Jakkur Lake

Nature as further treatment

Lake ecosystem

Fisheries

Synopsis

Solutions out there at individual household scales, RWA scales and

neighborhood scales
Metering & Tariffs : demand management- right pricing, increasing blocks
Rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge
Different options for waste-water treatment and reuse

Groundwater and local water bodies bring them into watermanagement thinking

Groundwater is not deep everywhere. Micro variations, (eg: openwells

with water in Devarabisanahalli). Understand and manage at local
scales.

In the long run, Citizens do respond to communication and science

common property nature of water, communicate science of water. Citizens
become part of the solution. Private investment with public good
benefit.

Having an enabling integrated policy environment : Right pricing

(political), economic incentives for good behaviour, Regulatory
environment that promotes solutions, Good enforcement

Thank you

Biome Environmental Trust

www.biome-solutions.com
www.biometrust.org
Biometrust.blogspot.in

avinash@biome-solutions.com (9341324692)
Shubha@biome-solutions.com
rainwaterclub@gmail.com