HR Vijay Chavan’s Post

In the bustling city of Bengaluru, where torrential rains often lead to severe waterlogging and flooding, But a remarkable initiative is changing things. Led by a retired army officer, Santhosh Kumar, this project offers a sustainable solution to the city's water woes. “When I was at a farm near the Muthanallur lake sometime in 2017, I observed that something was wrong. Despite getting normal rains, the lake was not getting full,” says Kumar. To know the root cause of the issue, Kumar meticulously studied stormwater drains and lakes in Anekal, gathering data and maps. He discovered a crucial factor: missing or blocked stormwater drains were preventing water from reaching the lakes. “These lakes were built during the Chola period, by King Rajaraja Chola 1. The lakes and drains survived and flourished all these years. Now, due to construction and developmental activities, the drains are encroached on,” he adds. Armed with data this citizen led project, began with a mission to clear encroachments. In just 100 days and for a mere Rs 60 lakh, a 4 km drain was revitalized, reconnecting it to Batalakere Lake. This success story doesn't end there. The officer has now revived over 14 lakes by clearing blockages and reconnecting them to their natural drainage systems. Read more about his inspiring story: https://buff.ly/45x94CV #Bengaluru #WaterCrisis #StormwaterDrainage #LakeRestoration #CitizenInitiative #WaterConservation [Bengaluru, Stormwater drains, Lake revival, Citizen-led project, Water conservation

this is very interesting and some important lessons for many cities facing pressures from water-scarcity and flood impacts exacerbated by climatic changes.

Water crisis in #Bengaluru? There's still hope and time for the city to rework its water supply. How exactly? Read the lead essay in this edition of Question of Cities which has a straight-forward set of recommendations by a man who knows its water bodies better than many. #Bengaluru #Bangalore #watercrisis #watershortage

I had a shift in understanding and the urgency of drought impacts last week.   I used to be under the impression, that offices and the service industry has a manageable exposure to drought risk and it is rather the manufacturing industry and agriculture that are in the front line of drought events. My colleague Divya Mishra from our office in Bengaluru, India, set me back straight on the urgency of taking drought serious across all industries.   The current water crisis gripping Bengaluru is fueled by rapid urban growth, rampant deforestation (with a staggering 88% loss of vegetation), poor water management, and drought conditions. The situations is extreme with skyrocketing water prices, strict water (and water price) regulations, and public facilities closing down faucets in the hope of reducing water consumption. Offices have sent their employees home or encouraged homeoffice to save water which was really eye-opening for me and shows that drought can reach all corners of businesses.   When I lived in Mumbai, India in 2011, water quality was not great where we lived in the old town city center with a big water tank on top of the house. I remember the tanks and manual distribution systems, but the system worked. With climate change intensifying drought conditions, already fragile systems will collapse as we can see in the current example in Bengaluru.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eDwHD8MW

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 37,000+ 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘? A census report on water bodies (lakes, rivers, and ponds) by the Ministry of Jal Shakti has revealed alarming realities. Over half of the sewage in urban India is released untreated into these water bodies. Where? Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana = 80% of India’s encroached water bodies. Delhi and Punjab have 24% and 10% of their water bodies encroached. ✅ Unplanned construction on lake beds ✅ Poor management of solid-waste ✅ Unjustified human intervention Reasons as such contribute to greater encroachment in urban than rural areas. How? Neither the government nor the private entities who own these water bodies bother about maintenance. For example, Bangalore, once known as the “City of Lakes”, has significantly lost its water bodies due to urban expansion. In terms of agricultural land, converting wetlands and lakes into farmland is another uncalculated habit. And lastly, it’s the lack of political will to protect water bodies. A variety of legal loopholes appear because of loosely stated laws and regulations. We need to spread awareness about this reality. Removing natural water bodies has made cities unable to absorb rainwater. Consequence? Urban flooding. They are a key source of refilling groundwater supplies. Problem? Many regions are witnessing a drop of over a meter per year. Nonetheless, our government’s water conservation schemes are working on a revival. 1. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2. Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 3. Mission Amrit Sarovar Have you seen any water bodies near your residence taken over by construction projects or ignorance? Do share the names of the areas below!

Roughly half of Bengaluru relies on water extracted from extensive underground boreholes, which often become depleted during the hot summer months. This issue has been exacerbated this year even before peak summer, with an almost 200% increase in water tanker costs across the city. Urgent notices from RWAs warn of major disruptions to water supply as BWSSB seize all private water tankers to divert water supply to areas with zero water supply. Restoring the city's lakes is a long-term solution that must not be overlooked! Lakes act as natural reservoirs that collect rainwater and surface runoff. When properly managed, they can allow water to percolate into the ground, replenishing the groundwater aquifers beneath. This process helps to recharge the water table over time. https://lnkd.in/gBm59bry

Urban flooding poses a significant challenge in the Kathmandu Valley, where encroachment and outdated drainage systems exacerbate the issue. Inaccurate system designs and backflow concerns highlight the need for upgraded infrastructure. Sustainable alternatives like Low Impact Development (LID) and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) offer promising solutions to capture and manage stormwater at the source. Collaborative efforts between institutions, governments, and innovative policies are crucial in ensuring a resilient and flood-resistant future for the valley. Happy to co-author this article with Rakesh Kumar chaudhary, shedding light on a critical issue that demands our collective attention. #UrbanFloodMitigation #Sustainability #InfrastructureRevamp Institute for Integrated Hydro Environment Research (IIHR) link: https://lnkd.in/dj8kzQFd

Can We Outrun the Rising Waters? Addressing Urban Flooding in Our Rapidly Growing Cities In today's rapidly #urbanizing world, cities are constantly expanding. While this growth brings #economic opportunities, it also presents significant challenges, one of the most pressing being urban flooding. As natural landscapes are replaced by concrete jungles, the ability of the land to absorb rainwater diminishes. This leads to increased surface runoff, overwhelming drainage systems, and causing flash floods that devastate homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Source - World Resources Institute | Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi | Lok Sabha Report #urbanization #urbanfloods #economicdevelopment #climatechange

Every square foot of RCC roof in #bangalore runs off 85 liters of water , accounting for all losses . This is the best and cheapest water that one can receive. Earlier this week, there was a lengthy discussion on one of the popular forums on how larger catchments like apartment complexes tap into this source of water . Though, I have time and again emphasised on the point that rainwater harvesting is a no brainer , there are little nuances that one needs to be cognizant about for effective working of the system. Here I am sharing a five year old video on how we have implemented Rainwater harvesting in an Apartment complex. https://lnkd.in/gwc-NP53 #rainwaterharvesting #sustainability #water #watercrisis

What's missing from this article is that cities & govt need to heavily invest in maintenance & management & education & training in horticulture & landscape design. Otherwise we will flood. https://lnkd.in/ewp4qkmu