Published on: April 7, 2024

WATER CRISIS IN KARNATAKA

WATER CRISIS IN KARNATAKA

This Topic will be very useful for the upcoming KAS mains exam. Following information can be remembered and used to write a good Essay. 

Geographical Data:

  • Karnataka 2nd drought prone region
  • 2/3rd of the geographical area of the state receives less than 750 mm of rainfall.
  • The state has 7 major river basins with the availability of 3475.2 TMC of water, of which only 1690.30 TMC i.e., only 50% of water gets used for the developmental purposes.
  • Central Water Commission: major reservoirs in the southern States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are filled to only 25% of their capacity or less (2024)
  • More than 200 Taluks were declared draught hit

Irrigation:

  • All the available supply of surface and groundwater in the state is 761 TMC
  • Only 34 % of the gross cropped area is irrigated
  • Bulk of the area under dryland agriculture relying on monsoon.

Ground water data: 

  • Ground water is the major source of drinking water. State has already over-drafted ground water by 64% and only 6.53 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) is available for future use.
  • As groundwater levels deplete à high Fluoride (31 districts) and arsenic (3 districts) contamination

Drinking water Data:

  • Union Ministry of Jal Shakti à 75% of 1.01 crore households in Karnataka have been provided with tap connections
  • Karnataka has 40,300 piped water supply projects in 31 districts. Only 3,315 (8.67%) have been “physically completed
  • RO plants installed by the government remain defunct in many villages

Case study:

  • Residents in the Asthana tribal haadi (tribal hamlet) in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu à are facing a drinking water crisis.
  • Out of 1,268 borewells present in Kalaburagi, 357 borewells have become defunct.

URBAN DATA (Bengaluru):

  • Bengaluru requires 2 billion liters of water daily for its 14 million residents.
  • Water supply has dwindled by 50%
  • CM acknowledges a daily shortage of 500 MLD of water in Bengaluru.
  • Uneven per capita water consumption, leading to disparities
  • The city can’t store enough water despite over 900 mm of rainfall annually
  • Total water demand:  2,632 million litres per day (MLD)
    –72 % – residential
    –17 % –  industrial
    –8 % – commercial/institutional
    –2 % – construction
  • Cauvery water: nearly half of Bengaluru’s needs + but costs Rs 3 crore daily
  • Groundwater: uses – 1,392 MLD + but naturally replenishes only 148 MLD

REASONS FOR THE CRISIS

  1. Failure of Rainfall
  2. Concretisation à Drastic reduction in green cover over five decades, with 86% of the area now paved.
  3. 1973 to 2022 à Bangalore’s built-up area expanded by 51.8 per cent + green spaces shrank by 26.2 per cent (177.2 sq km)
  4. Over exploitation of Groundwater
  5. Depletion of Native Rivers à Vrushabhavathi à dependence on distant sources
  6. Rapid and Unplanned Urban Growth. Ex: encroached on lakes.
  7. Pollution and Encroachment of Water Bodies. Ex: BellandurLake
  8. Currently only up to 75% of the wastewater generated is being collected and treated.

Measures/Scheme:

  • Jaladhare – rural water supply programme
    • Providing safe drinking water to all households in Rural India by 2024 through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).
    • Maintaining sustainability of water sources
    • Gray water management
    • water conservation
    • rain water harvesting & rejuvenation
    • recharging of water bodies
    • community based approach
    • Is implemented in Karnataka as Mane Manege GangeScheme.
    • Multi Village schemes and installed Water Purification Plants
  • Jal Jeevan Mission
  • Karnataka Water Policy 2022
  • Old schemes- National Water Supply Scheme, Water NirmalAbhiyan, Jalanidhi, Swajaladhara, and National Rural Drinking Water Program.

Short term (Done this year) 

  • Each MLA representing Bengaluru à ₹10 crore to address water scarcity
  • Supply Tankers
  • Water Tanker Regulation and Fair Pricing
  • War Room and Real-Time Monitoring
  • Infrastructure Development à drilling new borewells
  • water usage restrictions
  • Task forces at the taluk level. Ex: acquiring private borewells
  • Awareness and Community Engagement

BY BWSSB – to address water shortage and misuse issues in Bangalore

  • Jalasnehi: Allows consumers to request treated water from BWSSB.
  • Jalamitra: Facilitates citizens, NGOs, and volunteers in preventing water leakage and conducting surveys.
  • Jalasamrakshaka: Enables reporting of water misuse for penalization.
  • Antharjala: Streamlines the process of applying for borewells with BWSSB’s permission
  • ‘Save water for growth of Bengaluru’ campaign
  • Community Rainwater Harvesting Policy BY BWSSB àFill lakes and recharge groundwater in the city à  by installing pipes from buildings to channel water directly to lakes.
  • Water Future Hub à where companies can share new innovations and ideas
  • Water Centre – learn value of water
  • Water Adalat –  To hear grievances related to waterbilling, delays in domestic connection, delays in water supply, and sanitary connection

BWSSB- Vision document 

  1. capture more rainfall à improve the quality of city lakes à thereby generating its own water
  2. bulk water customers à Use recycled water
  3. Installing automatic monitors in treatment plants and pipe
  4. Water Information Hub / GIS analytics – for decision making,
  5. Energy efficiency at water pump stations
  6. water-efficient fixtures for homes and businesses

Suggestions:

  • Rejuvenate Natural Water Flow
  • Western Ghats protection
  • Address Urbanization Effects
  • Sewage Management
  • Increase Green Cover
  • Sustainable Water Resources management practices

Karnataka Water Policy 2022

Objectives:

  • Address evolving challenges in water management.
  • Adopt Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach.
  • Ensure water security and optimal utilization for various purposes.

Strategies:

  • Prioritize water use à domestic, irrigation, livestock, hydro-power, industry, ecology, and others.
  • Manage water infrastructure for irrigation and dam safety.
  • Modernize irrigation systems for efficiency.

Agriculture and Livestock:

Monitor Water Productivity.

  • Incentivize Natural, Organic, and Zero Budget farming.
  • Encourage fisheries and aquaculture in diverse areas.
  • Promote green fodder production and efficient water use.

Water Conservation and Management:

  • Recycle and reuse treated wastewater.
  • Implement rainwater harvesting.

Data Management and Planning:

  • Establish Karnataka Water Resources Information System for data collection and dissemination.
  • Conduct multi-sectoral water resources planning at river basin level.
  • Ensure economic justification and Environmental Impact Assessment for water projects.
  • Karnataka Water Resources Inventory’ will be produced to assess the extent, uses and condition of the State’s water resources

Sustainability and Climate Resilience:

  • Promote conjunctive use of surface and groundwater.
  • Develop flood and drought management strategies.
  • Prepare State Specific Action Plan for Climate Change.

Community Engagement:

  • Encourage participatory irrigation management.
  • Conduct capacity building for stakeholders.

Governance and Oversight:

  • Form High-Level Water Policy Committee for guidance and coordination.
  • Ensure performance review of policy implementation.

Way Forward: 

  • Human-centric approaches in water governance
  • Address water poverty
  • Understanding and addressing the root causes of water crisis beyond technical solutions.