The summer that went by saw Bengaluru — a city known for its great weather and lush gardens — face one of its most challenging water crises in recent memory. With reduced rains last year and groundwater levels plummeting, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) stepped up to implement stringent water conservation measures. Many apartment complexes across the city embraced water conservation methods.
In March this year, the BWSSB prohibited the use of drinking water for car washing, construction, gardening, fountains, road repairs, and maintenance tasks. The civic body also banned the use of potable water, both from the Cauvery and from borewells, to fill swimming pools. A month later the BWSSB relaxed the ban allowing apartment complexes, clubs, and sporting institutes to use borewell and rainwater to fill swimming pools. However, the order said that no one can use the Cauvery water supplied by the board to fill the pools. The BWSSB said that if any of these conditions are not met, it will impose a fine of ₹5,000 for the first offence, and on subsequent offences, the fine would go up by ₹500 every day.
Now that the rains are here, are these communities continuing to comply with BWSSB’s directives for sustainable living by continuing to follow the water conservation methods? It appears that many of them are.
Residents of an apartment in Bengaluru have created percolation pits close to their borewells which allows for groundwater recharge.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
Members advised
Vikram Rai, president of Bengaluru Apartments’ Federation (BAF) said, “Post the instruction by the BWSSB there has not been any relaxation on the ban. The BAF does get queries from our members asking if the ban is lifted but we instruct them that the prohibitions continue. There are about 1,300 apartments that fall under the BAF, and every apartment is continuing to follow the conservation methods.”
As it is the rainy season now, BAF tells its members how harvested rainwater can be a great source and replacement for Cauvery or borewell water. Most apartments are reusing treated water, harvested rainwater and groundwater for their activities. “We also have a talk with the members frequently and discuss how some of the techniques we adopted during summer can be sustained. Apartments have also created policies or mechanisms to make sure water is conserved. For example, some apartments have strict rules that allow residents to wipe their cars every day but can only use a bucket of water to wash their cars once a week. Apartments had covered swimming pools with tarpaulin to stop water evaporating from the pool when not in use during the summer, many apartments are continuing to do it.” explained Rai.
Use of RO waste water
Rohini Ghose, secretary of the apartment association of Aristocrat Apartments, Kasturinagar, said that they had come up with a unique way to collect around 600 litres of RO wastewater every day and are continuing to follow the method. “Though it has been raining and there is sufficient water, we are continuing with the conservation measures we started in March. Initially, we did not know how to conserve RO water as ours is an old apartment, and it would be hard for us to lay down new pipelines. So, in the summer we decided to do a survey in the apartment and found that out of 145 RO units, we can get around 10 litres of RO wastewater every day from at least 70 units. We gave all the residents a 10-litre jerry can to fill and keep outside their houses. This water is then poured into two 200-litre drums that come with taps and a hose. We use the water for car washing, mopping common areas, swimming pools and for the garden area.”
Recently they also got a lab test of the RO water, RO rejects water, ground-water and Cauvery water, to confirm that their water quality was good. It had the right pH levels and met the WHO threshold. “This allowed us to take a decision that we could use the RO reject water for our swimming pool, and now we have seen a drop in our water bill,” Ghose added.
Recycled water is advised for washing cars due to the water crisis in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
Washing cars less often
In Krishna Gardenia apartments in Raghuvanahalli too residents are continuing to follow the measures they adopted this summer. “Whatever guidelines were issued by the BWSSB during the water scarcity this summer, we have found it to be sustainable, and are continuing to follow it. Though we have started using our swimming pool mostly during the weekends, since we have a water recycling system attached to it, we are not wasting any water. We have strict rules concerning car washing, and we have advised the residents not to use more than a bucket. However, most residents do not wash the car at all, they prefer to dust the car and wipe it with a wet cloth, which is saving us a lot of water,” said Raghuveer Samarth, a resident of the apartment.
In Nandi Shelters apartment at Subramanyapura, residents have stopped the use of their swimming pool. S.R. Tareen, a resident of the apartment, said, “Our association initially stopped the use of the swimming pool because of the water scarcity around the city. Since schools have also reopened and it has been raining, not many residents use the pool. So, we have dried the pool and usage has been stopped for now as the ground water levels in our apartment has gone down and we are dependent on water tankers at least twice a week to meet our daily needs. Car wash has also been limited to once a week and one bucket per car,” he said.
Not for times of crisis
Speaking to The Hindu, V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB, said, “Conservation is not about crisis management, it is about efficient water management at every level. Water comes with lots of effort and energy and people must value it. There is relaxation for swimming pools, as long as they do not use Cauvery water to fill the pools. But the prohibition of use of potable water for other purposes like car wash, gardening etc. are still on, and penalties will be imposed if misused. Methods involving wasteful water use should be discontinued on a long-term basis. We plan to make this a permanent prohibition.”
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