To meet the city’s increasing demand for drinking water, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is considering a proposal to draw water from the Linganamakki reservoir, said Narayan, BWSSB chief engineer (new initiatives and new water).
Participating in a seminar on ‘Water management and conservation” organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) here on Friday, Mr. Narayan said the proposal had been placed before the government. “We are exploring various options to meet the city’s requirement. The water board’s expert committee, set up in 2010 to find long- and short-term solutions to the growing demand for water, has also recommended that Linganamakki water be used to augment the city’s supply,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of BWSSB chairperson M.S. Ravishankar, Mr. Narayan said that if the government agreed to this proposal, the city’s demand, which would reach 2,095 million litres of water a day (mld) by 2021, could be met.
Apart from Linganamakki, the committee had also recommended that water be drawn from the Yettinahole project and two tributaries of the Cauvery.
Located in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district, Linganamakki is the biggest reservoir in the State, having capacity to hold up to 151 tmcft of water with annual inflow of 181 tmcft.
The chief engineer said water management and conservation was top priority for the board. The city needs 1,500 mld, while the board is currently supplying 1,300 mld. As the Cauvery is the only source of water so far, it was important to initiate water conservation measures such as rainwater harvesting, recycling and reusing water, he said.
“Although the per capita national standard for a city like Bangalore is 150 litres to 200 litres a day, we have been able to provide on an average 100 litres to 125 litres a day. It is between 40 litres to 45 litres a day in the urban poor areas,” Mr. Narayan explained.
Presentations on recycle and reuse of industrial waste water, water conservation in commercial and residential buildings and rainwater harvesting were made by representatives from GE, Brigade Enterprises and ITC.
BCIC vice-president Anuj Sharma and co-chairperson of BCIC’s Energy, Water and Environment Expert Committee Devesh Singh also spoke.
