Bangalore Urban Metabolism Project Episode 1: Introduction

[@VGBGI]

It is difficult to accept that the water table is rising in the core / center of Bangalore and water table is depleting in the periphery. In the city center and surrounding areas, every millimeter is covered by concrete and there is no way water can enter into aquifer. In addition, roof top water harvesting is also not popular in city center due to aged and smaller buildings. Accordingly there are no compelling reasons to believe that water table is rising in the center and depleting in the periphery. Water table is depleting all over the Eastren Dry Zone comprising Bangalore, Kolar and Tumkur districts and perhaps all districts including Kodagu under the Hilly zone. What is crucial for Bangalore are the following: 1. Put the size of building limit for new buildings coming up 2. Avoid expansion of existing buildings, 3. New constructions mandatorily need to leave some 10 percent of the area exposed to rains for facilitating recharge, irrespective of whether the is borewell or not. If this cannot be done administratively, it should be done by taxation as in Singapore. Currently hardly fifty percent of the Bangalore properties are taxed and are also taxed around fifty percent of the potential. Given that 60 percent of State's tax revenues are from Bangalore, it is crucial to widen the tax net and enhance tax collection to achieve sustainable water management. In addition, both demand and supply sides of water needs to be looked into, not just the supply side.

[@dhananjaigowda4837]

Will banglore run out off water 💦