What is in news : Study by Department of Water Resources (DOWR), Government of India has shown groundwater is overexploited in Bengaluru Urban district

Details :

• In 36% of the district, coming under city limits, water quality issues abound owing to pollution, apart from poor recharge.
• In the remaining 56%, the overexploitation is owing to the complete dependency on groundwater and unmindful drilling of borewells.
• Apart from the demand and supply gap, urbanisation hindering recharge of ground water, the other issues were leakage of pipes and mining/theft/ pollution of groundwater
• In peripheral areas, the problems were pertaining to the increase and deepening of borewells and drying up of the Arkavathy, the Kumudvathi, and the Hesaraghatta reservoir.

Recommendations to tackle the issue :

• Dual piping for potable and non-potable water
• Reuse of grey water
• Adopting scientific augmentation of groundwater recharge
• Reduction of unaccounted for water to less than 20%, and other measures in line with order of the National Green Tribunal to prevent pollution of waterbodies
• Extending the Cauvery water supply to peripheral areas
• Using grey water for irrigation
• Involving citizens’ groups and local communities in rejuvenation of rivers and waterbodies

What has been done :

• Safeguarding waterbodies and restoring the original drain network by clearing encroachments
• Preventing sewage and effluents from entering the drains and water bodies
• Filling up tanks and lakes with treated water

Way forward :

• Apart from regulating permissions for drilling borewells, the authority should also ensure the borewells are metered
• Every borewell must have a recharge structure