What does it mean for a city to be resilient?

Cities are complex geographies. Within a relatively small area, you have some of the richest citizens living in posh villas juxtaposed with the urban poor that lack access to basic amenities. Some of the highest earning businesses are housed within feet of daily wage labourers. Areas with high biodiversity adjacent to slums and degraded landscapes. The contrasts are jarring and a-plenty, which makes for a complex public policy problem.  

It can be tempting to isolate these contrasting features and study them separately, in fact this has been the status quo for decades. We now know that all these systems are highly interconnected. The revenue earning business cannot function without the daily wage worker. Similarly, the daily wage worker will not have jobs in the city if not for an initial capital investment by the large business. This small feedback loop connects to the housing sector. Villas will not be built if not for rich business people in the IT sector, and its construction depends on the labourers. Finally, all these socio-economic systems ultimately depend on the ecology of the city. Rainfall in the catchment area of the Cauvery basin supplies the KRS reservoir which serves at least 50% or more of the city. Additionally, the aquifers that supply the rest 50% of the city with groundwater is dependent on multiple ecological variables - rainfall, wetlands and lakes, hydraulic gradient etc to name a few. 

It then follows that to understand water, one needs to understand how it is interconnected with the social and economic world. Resilience thinking has lately been gathering momentum in order to bridge the economic, social and environmental spheres to see it as one coherent system. Its genesis is traced back to engineers in the 1800's who were trying to understand how much disturbance a material can endure before it breaks. Other disciplines started to take note of the idea of resilience as a metaphor and started using it within their own disciplines. Psychologists used resilience to understand how one can bounce back from a negative emotional experience. Ecologists used it to understand how ecological systems such as a rainforest can absorb and recover from a shock. Resilience is now widely being used within the social sciences to understand societal problems such as poverty alleviation, development and so on. Therefore, resilience as a concept can be used to bridge the gaps between the social and natural sciences and view systems as a whole. 

While I have demonstrated the use of resilience in a few disciplines, I have not actually explained the concept to any satisfactory degree. I shall do so below. 

Fig 1 demonstrates the concept of resilience via a simple ball and trough diagram. State 1 and State 2 are two systems- let us think of them as a rainforest (State 1) and a savannah (State 2). Resilience is the ability of this rainforest to absorb shocks and yet remain within the state 1 trough, i.e remain as a rainforest. Let’s imagine that the rainforest faces a shock in the form of deforestation. In all likelihood the rainforest will not completely collapse but will start to heal itself. The degraded patch of land will in time re-grow its trees and shrubs that were once part of the forest and will eventually be restored to a rainforest. The question we now ask is - how much destruction (shocks) can this rainforest take before it is not able to heal itself and return to being a rainforest. There exists a threshold level as indicated by the peak in Fig 1, once crossed, the rainforest is lost, and changes to another system, perhaps a grassland/savannah represented by state 2. This threshold is often termed as the ‘tipping point’. This ecological example can be extended to society, the economy and polity, as we shall see below. 

Fig 1

The ball represents a system. Nudging the ball within the basins represent disturbances to the system. 

Source: Morelli and Tryjanowski 2016

Environmental Resilience: 

Bangalore is second only to Chennai in implementing rain water harvesting within its city limits. Using rain water reduces the demand on Cauvery water that comes from 100 km away at a huge ecological and environmental cost. The energy to bring Cauvery water is via non-renewables and hence, the entire Cauvery project is unsustainable (energy wise). Secondly, closely tied to rain water harvesting is the adoption of recharge wells through the city. This nature based solution serves the purpose of directing rain water overflow from houses and/or from storm water drains into wells that recharge the aquifer. The health of the aquifer is improved and will serve as a viable source of water through all seasons. Thirdly, a few lakes in Bangalore have an attached constructed wetland at the site of the inputs to the lake. The wetland treats the primary or secondary treated wastewater which can then flow into the lake. These lakes serve as incredible biodiversity hotspots as often remarked by birding enthusiasts across Bangalore. One of the impacts of climate change in urban areas will be the unpredictability of rainfall. With a constant input of treated used water into the lake, a certain level of water can be maintained throughout the year. Finally, following from the previous point, much of our treated used water is sent to the hinterlands around Bangalore which are drought prone agricultural belts. Bangalore is fed due to these regions and as a city we have an obligation towards our farmers. The used water is allowed to infiltrate into the soil and be used as groundwater for agriculture. 

Using these examples we see that in the case of an environmental shock (there will be a fare share considering climate change), we will still have water to drink if we collect the rain, the lakes will not completely dry up in the case in case of a draught (due to the treated used water inputs), and environmental shocks to the hinterland will be dampened to some extent by the supply of treated water supply from the city. 

Economic Resilience: 

I shall try to tease out economic resilience by understanding it to be the ability of the city to recover from an economic shock (financial crash, demonetisation, inflation etc). An economic shock should not imply that you cannot access the basic necessities to a dignified life, water being one of the main components. The BWSSB in its policies have invoked a ‘pro-poor’ water policy that has largely subsidised connection charges (connections charges are often the biggest financial barrier to piped water connections) to residents in slums. Secondly, the usage of rain water harvesting and recharge wells by citizens reduces their water tariffs. Biome has proven that rainwater is the cheapest source of water even considering the initial capital investments. The citizen now saves that money which would have otherwise been used to pay the Cauvery water bill. Finally, the construction of recharge wells is done by a traditional well digging community that lost their livelihood when bore wells became the norm. By constructing more recharge wells we are supporting the livelihoods of this traditional community. 

Therefore, economic resilience is built by helping the citizenry save money that would have otherwise been used for connection charges, water tariffs etc. Meaningful livelihoods are promoted by employing traditional well diggers. 

Social Resilience: 

The word ‘social’ here implies cultural and religious as well. A city is not just a physical space that one lives and works in, but citizens have an emotional and spiritual connection to it. These aspects to a city life are often overlooked in many urban discourses where planners and engineers dominate. A positive step in the right direction especially with regard to water is the nature in which lake conservation has been happening in our city. The citizens of the city are well aware that the state does not have the capacity to revive these lakes in any satisfactory manner, if the state were to work alone. Hence, citizens formed groups that would articulate what the stakeholders of the lake actually wanted and work with the government to meet some sort of a compromise. Most times, these groups did involve marginalised stakeholders whose needs are often forgotten. There are more values one derives from a lake than mere utility. It is a spiritual place for many, religious ceremonies are often conducted on its banks. It is a social place to ‘hang out’. All of these aspects contribute towards building social resilience - the ability of a society to recover from a shock and continue to derive social, cultural and religious benefits from the natural world. This ensures that the governance of the lake does not lie only with the state but with the citizens as well. 

Political Resilience:   

The concept of political resilience was brought up at a recent interns discussion with the Biome team. The question was - do we want the governance of water to be completely controlled by the state? Essentially all water would be supplied by the state and they would have a complete monopoly. Hopefully our discussion about resilience in the preceding sections should already give you an inkling that this is a bad idea. On the flip side an argument can be made as Mr Viswanath did, that having a completely decentralised system of water supply might not be as efficient as having one body (the state) controlling all water supply. This is true. However, we need to ask ourselves what sort of efficiency we want. Is the highest efficiency always desirable in all situations? Economists and engineers would cross their hearts and tell you so. But in matters of governance, it is much more nuanced. I would argue that the added effort needed in organising citizen efforts, investing in your rain water harvesting set up, digging a recharge well in your compound, contributing towards lake rejuvenation and taking governance into your own hands, while being less ‘efficient’, brings you closer to the sacredness of water. You will hopefully start to place a value on water that cannot be captured monetarily. This is where we need to be. Water is a shared substance not just between humans but all life on earth. Our values that we place on water must be congruent with the natural world.

In conclusion, Bangalore is a city that is exhibiting resilience in many spheres. We have a long way to go, but we certainly seem to have a toe-nail in the right direction. As we’ve been seeing the climate change related catastrophes this year has brought, the topic of resilience should be at the forefront. While we previously adhered to engineering and scientific rules to make water work for us, we will now have to use our knowledge to learn to live under nature’s rules and adapt to water. Adopting resilience thinking into ongoing urban discourses will steer water policy in this direction and would hopefully acknowledge the multi-dimensionality and interconnectedness of water.

References: 

Morelli, F., & Tryjanowski, P. (2016). The dark side of the “redundancy hypothesis” and ecosystem assessment. Ecological Complexity, 28, 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecocom.2016.07.005 

Sahil Regi Mathew

The City of Oranges and its water woes

Water shortages, wastewater disposal, unequal distribution of water within the city, leakage and thefts are some of many water related issues the city of Nagpur has been facing since the past few years. This implies that there is a need to think of new ways to tackle these issues which should not only be sustainable but inclusive and reliable. 

In Nagpur, an average sized household can harvest up to 1 lakh litres of  rainwater annually, considering the area of terrace to be 1200-1400 sq ft  and average annual rainfall to be 1064 mm. Which is quiet enough to cater yearly drinking water needs for a family of four. Adding to this, if we consider the idea of recharging the open wells which are in dire state in the city, the amount of water harvested would be a supplement, not only for household purposes but for groundwater recharge. 

The idea of harvesting rainwater is not new… the city’s law mandates all the structures  having an area of certain sq.m, and above, to have their own rainwater harvesting systems. The tax incentives are also given to the citizens in the form of some concession on property tax. But the enthusiasm of citizens and the city's corporation remains passive towards it. One reason for this could be the decision of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to involve private players in the city’s water supply system, as promoting such sustainable ways of saving up water could impact their revenue. 

Water & Nagpur, the present  

Nagpur gets  maximum of its supplied water from Pench reservoir with Kanhan river contributing for certain requirements. The city requires 670 MLD of water and creates 550 MLD of waste water. NMC is responsible for the city's water supply. It roped in Orange city waters (OCW) a private player to handle the water supply in 2011 making it a Public Private Partnership (PPP)  venture. Nagpur was one of the first cities in India to have a PPP to handle the city's overall water supply. Various politicians and bureaucrats pushed for this idea of privatisation, but some experts, like journalist Nivedita Khandekar who writes extensively on environment related issues, condemned the idea of privatising a public good like water.

City’s wastewater is discharged into the Nag river, which has become an open sewer and a source of various kinds of pollution. Not to mention this is the same river the city was named after – when the river enabled this area to urbanise. NMC is also planning to involve private players in the Wastewater treatment system of the city. Presently the water treated by public Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) is sold to Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) around the city at a minuscule price. This idea was finalised by keeping a nexus approach in plan where one industry's waste becomes another industry’s raw material. But the fly ash generated from these TPPs is being discharged into Kanhan river, polluting the same source it is indirectly getting its water from, this, along with the already discharged untreated wastewater from Nag river, makes the water from Kanhan unfit for downstream users.

Water pollution is an issue the city has been facing, where TPPs, dumping yards and untreated wastewater flowing through open sewerages  contribute majorly towards both surface water and groundwater pollution. Urban Sprawl has reduced the distance between residential areas, dumping yards, and TPPs. People are getting more vulnerable towards health diseases caused by pollution. The untreated wastewater which is being discharged into the Kanhan river is used by the downstream farmers for irrigation purposes. According to architect Pradyumna Sahasrabhojanee who is working on sustainable architecture, though use of the city's wastewater by the farmers for irrigation was part of Nagpur's master plans, its safety aspects if considered today, are under question - as the toxins may enter the farm produce and human bodies consuming it.  

Water & Nagpur, issues involved… 

The water needs of the city have been increasing since decades, taking up irrigation allocations from the Pench Irrigation Project. The present capacity of Sewage Treatment Plants is way less than required. There are a plethora of issues and we need a sustainable way out before the situation worsens. All the issues are interlinked, hence the solutions should be collaborative and inclusive. Water is one of the components which decide a city's growth – social and economic. Some ways of ensuring sustainability, especially in an urban setting are Rainwater Harvesting  and Treatment of wastewater. 

Learning from the case study mentioned above, it can be stated that if rainwater is collected and utilised properly by the citizens as well as the authorities, it has a tremendous potential to be an asset – considering that Nagpur receives an adequate amount of rainfall. Decentralisation of wastewater treatment plants is another solution: which involves establishing STPs on block level or household level so that the water reaching the main sewer will always be clean. The idea is also sought after by experts to improve the quality of water flowing in the sewers, this water can be reused for purposes like watering public parks, fire stations, public toilets etc. This in turn would reduce the chances of groundwater pollution caused by wastewater flowing through sewers and would also add recreational value to Nag river and its other tributaries which have lost their glory with increasing urbanisation. 

Leakage in pipeline to city

There are issues and there are solutions – and these are right in front of us. They aren't complicated or hard to implement, still they face various political and bureaucratic hurdles. Understanding sustainable alternatives isn't Rocket Science. It all begins with a change – behavioural or policy. Which are often easy, yet difficult to bring in.

Water theft - taking water from the underground supply line

CASE STUDY 

The following numbers reflect my experience with the exercise I did during last summer, calculating the area of  my roof top and well and finding out the amount of rainwater we could be harvesting annually through our terrace and open well, considering the average annual rainfall to be 1064 mm.  The result says the average amount of water harvested by these two structures could be around 1 lakh litres per year and total annual water needs (including drinking and domestic) of my family of four is around 3 lakh litres as per the calculations. 

This study helped me  realise that 1/3rd of my family’s  water needs can be catered from the annual rainwater we receive. This idea is not only going to be a kind of economic substitute for the way we use our resources to fetch water but an excellent ecological initiative.

Vrushali Gaurkar, Nagpur

3 Issues, 2 Cities and 1 Reality

Over the past two months we spent a large chunk of time studying the water scenario — how the entire system of urban water supply is being operated out in two cities — Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra) and what could be the scope of alternate and sustainable water resources in substituting the traditional way of consumption. We were not looking for an obvious answer, we were just trying to apply what we were taught in our course to what we’re going to learn in the coming months and to get an idea of the picture on how the system is in place in both the cities. More than an experience, the couple of months were a reflection — which changed the way we look at the reality which is in front of us and how we live in a web of complexities, and why the solution does not just lie in a policy or a technology but should be accompanied by compassion and a social way of thinking. 

The article tries to focus on three particular issues: Surface water and how the authorities see large infrastructure projects as a solution to tackle water access issue — for both present as well as for the future; Increasing water disparities across various sectors: Rural, urban and industries; meagre priority given to adapt sustainable alternate measures. All the issues lead to a realisation — on the way the urban structure is in place not only in these two focus cities but in the entire country where similar kinds of issues continue to persist and similar kinds of solutions are sought after. 

Issues and equivalences 

The two cities have different geographies. One situated along the east coast sandwiched between Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal and the other at the centre of the country located near beguiling tiger and natural reserves. Both the cities serve as a lifeline to the people in the regions they’re present in — Uttarandhra and Vidarbha. Despite being located in different geographies and governed by different administrations, the issues which persist — especially in the province of water — remain similar and identical. Both the municipalities look at some large dams and reservoirs to cater the consumption needs of residents. For both, major sources of water have been  Pench reservoir and Kanhan River for Nagpur; Yeleru, Raiwada, and Mehadrigedda reservoirs for Vizag.  Along with various other minor sources. These structures cater needs for present, while for future ideas like Polavaram and Kochi barrage are projected as solutions for increasing water demand in these spaces.

The two cities are vastly industrialised. Industries are in fact gadgets which clear the way for greater economic growth. The point here is that the governments chew over these as panaceas of every economic issue the regions have been facing. Here, for many, industries define identity. That’s the perception which is present far and wide exhaustively. For Heavy industries — just like the environment — water is the cornerstone. The administrations rightly recognise this conventional fact. They award massive priority to ensure these units get the desired water they call for. This  priority comes with a trade-off and a cost. Both the cities are surrounded with hinterlands which are extremely water stressed. In an ideal world the authorities would come up with a win-win game plan. In practise, the rural regions are always on the losing side — where the water which should be provided to them end up in sacrifice to the growing production units in and around these cities. This is leading to a ripple effect where they look for alternate sources of water — like groundwater — which is resulting in exploitation of aquifers.  

American activist Annie Leonard once famously said “there is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere”. This aptly describes the picture in both the cities where around 80% of the water received by any city turns into sewage, and most of this is left to enter into the ocean or into the nearby rivers through drains, a certain amount of this sewage water is treated and sold to industries generating revenue to the local water departments. Still a lot of untreated sewage water is discharged into drains and ocean, befouling the ecosystem.  

The rainfall is the strength for both the cities, which exceed the national average every year. Despite getting enough rainfall, sustainable mediums like rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge are not being compelled prudently. The rain water mostly flows into the drains and to the sea with no precise beneficiary of the resource. The law mandates both the cities as part of building codes to install structures which harvest rainwater but its enforcement is still a distant dream. They offer certain incentives – like small relief on annual property tax of the household, but the outcome of these kinds of incentives is under debate. Methods like harvesting rainwater, decentralised sewage treatment plants are considered as low hanging fruits which can be employed and harnessed, but impassiveness of the authorities towards decentralised and sustainable solutions makes it too difficult to turn them into a reality. 

Unconventional as endeavour

Cities follow a pattern: Depend on a convention, modify the convention and portray a new convention. We tend to see the structures we constructed decades ago, as the retrievers of water access. They do justify the mandate. At the same time when urbanisation is blistering, water consumption is a directly proportional factor. It needs — along with conventional way of thinking — a new way of fostering which doesn’t have to be a reinvention of the wheel. It's not like two expanding cities are following a particular approach and face certain identical issues, but it is realisation of a method which is a reflection on the way we chose to urbanise — with winners and losers. Water falling in the latter.   

Fixing this wheel is indeed a challenge, because some subjects go beyond public matters, they involve complex and multidisciplinary facets — social, politics, environment and finance — water fits well into these. The nature of this resource as a basic need makes it prone to various contentions. There is no such city which is immune to such contentions, thereby finding a holistic solution to water related obstacles and conflicts become complicated. The alternate sustainable measures advocated have the potential to turn out as assets. Like a simple formula solving a complex quadratic problem — harnessing the water from rain and its storage, proper treatment of  the generated sewage and improvement in operation and maintenance of current water infrastructure  in place — can act as a medium to tackle the crisis. The kind of hurdles both these cities face are the same in every urban scene in the country. It is the unconventional way of thinking which has the way out. 

Vrushali Gaurkar (Nagpur)

Vamsi Krishna (Vishakhapatnam)

Nothing yet Everything

 In the sparkling eyes of joy

with the voice of innocence

having the gesture of humbleness 

of the mind of innovativeness

and the blessed strength in the bodies 

may be not perfect in carrying themselves 

but un-moulded walks which sets them free

here are the people

my sight was never upon

they are now mine. Mine and mine

Itinerant Typha cutters, Baje wage labourers, 

RURAL FOLKS, an umbrella term 

 with dear sense of belonging 

"Elu Ooru Kere"(lake of Seven Villages)

"namm kere", "nam ooru", "nam gadde", "nam bhavi"

every interaction with local folks smoothens me

hard work, self sufficiency, simplicity 

nevertheless humour at its best

a quick thought of transversal of roles...

can I welcome them as they did?

can I accept them as they did?

can I laugh as they do?

can I be finally set free?

CAN I? 

LOOKS LIKE A TASK THOUGH!

is it because of striving for a livelihood?

or their philosophy of highest order? 

carpe diem... Bhuddism... Zen... Mythology... 

sieze the day, "aaseye dukhakke mula", flexibility and adaptability, ideal figures of Lord Rama and Krishna respectively...

"Oota madudra madamavre?" 

"Oota maadi banni madamavre..."

Oota is fundamental, yes.

So are the people...

fundamentals of a holistic life...

they are our "annadathas"... 

Dude wait... 

people with simple minds are not nothing!

they should be something!

actually they are everything:)

                                                              -Rakshitha M L

  

Water management in Tumakuru City - Part 3

Here is a fascinating story of Baje 

Ten years down the line people of Bheemasandra were worried about their failed agricultural produce. This was the result of the entry of treated sewage water into the Bheemasandra Lake. They were majorly cultivating wheat in about more than fifty acres of land. People failed to get desired quality and quantity of wheat using the treated sewage water. Bheemasandra village is the classic example of how farmers adapt to the changes that are inevitable. Farmers found out only Baje could survive in the treated waste water with very high concentrations of Nitrogen and Phosphates. Farmers have shifted to Baje cultivation for a decade. Baje is an expensive herb used for medicine. This wise choice of farmers resulted in converting the shit into a costly medicine.

Baje plantation at Bheemasandra

Haven’t heard of Baje?

The above plant is locally called Baje and it has various names like Vacha and Vasambu. In English it is called as Sweet Flag and scientifically it is referred as Acorus Calamus. Bheemasandra village is cultivating acres and acres of Baje in the area behind the lake. Baje is a medicinal plant which was used as an indigenous medicine. As an infant even I was given Baje when I had digestive problems. Vacha is Baje in Sanskrit which means to speak. In Ayurveda Baje is used to treat digestive disorders, stimulate brain functioning, Asthma, speech impediments, voice clarity, hair care, sedative, cold related problems etc. In recent times Baje has undergone various researches on its health benefits. Countries like Germany, Austria, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Swedan and Switzerland have recognized the health benefits of Baje and are using it in their pharmaceutical industries. Thus, Baje has gained an export market in recent decades. The local farmers anticipating the good returns started cultivating Baje using the treated waste water. Isn't it a smart choice of the farmers?

How to cultivate Baje?

Baje is grown in wet and mushy lands. Baje uses flood irrigation for its cultivation. Baje is a ten month crop. The technology of its cultivation is the same as wheat cultivation. The land must be ploughed thoroughly and should be watered for two days.  Baje looks very similar to ginger which is bought from the market and planted like wheat on the ploughed land. Quickly grass grows from the planted Baje and of course weeds are removed for twice and manure will be used. When the grass grows up to the desired size indicating the harvest is ready, farmers chop off the grass to its root and take out the Baje which would be of half arm length. Now the task of the farmers is to remove the rhizomes, clean the Baje and cut into small pieces of three to four inches. 

Baje

What about the market for Baje?

Farmers will get a good price every year for their Baje produce. The price varies from three to nine thousand per quintal based on the market price and quality of the produce. Last year people sold their Baje for nine thousand per quintal. It can be very well said that farmers are happy with the price of Baje which is not very uncertain. Farmers would sell their produce on their land itself to the merchants. Few Baje farmers who produce more quantities of Baje will have a contract with the traders in APMC yard in Tumakuru city that they would sell their produce only to their loyal traders. This contract would fetch more return on to the farmers.

Farmers learnt about Baje by experimenting growing Baje using wastewater. One farmer’s good returns inspired the other farmers to cultivate Baje and thus farmers sought out there worries themselves. Now, eighty percent of the treated waste water is used to cultivate Baje in about sixty acres. 

Well done farmers!

-Rakshitha M L

Water management in Tumakuru City- Part 2

Let us see what’s happening to the wastewater in Tumakuru:

Sewage Treatment Plant

Tumakuru has been treating its waste water in a Sewage Treatment Plant located at Bheemasandra since a decade. The capacity of STP is 25MLD. Waste water enters STP inlet through a pump house located near Ring road and the STP outlet is connected to Bheemasandra Lake. As the waste water enters the STP a chemical will be added to reduce the smell of the waste water. Every day thirteen kilograms of chemicals will be put into the waste water twice a day. Waste water stays in the STP for about three days and gets discharged into Bheemasandra Lake. STP is responsible for primary treatment of the waste water while secondary and tertiary treatment is not taken care currently. It was noted that Melekote Lake which is adjacent to the Bheemasandra Lake also gets affected by the treated waste water when the Bheemasandra Lake overflows. 

Map of Bheemasandra Lake and Melekote Lake

Animals grazing around Bheemasandra STP

Wetlands

It was observed that the area around the Sewage Treatment Plant had natural wetlands having Typha, Hyacinth and other wetland plants.

Are people are using the treated waste water for cultivation?

Yes, people are using treated wastewater for cultivating. People grow coconut, areca nut, corn and green leafy vegetables for Sheep and goats. Vegetables are grown on a very small scale using borewell water since vegetables can’t be grown using treated sewage water. 

Farmers pumping the treated sewage water having motors installed in the lake

Now let us hear from people, what do they feel about the treated waste water in Bheemasandra Lake?

People of Bheemasandra are in a state of helplessness, if I had to say in their words, “we have no choice, madam” is their answer. Villagers spoke of the advantages and nevertheless to list out many disadvantages of treated wastewater. None of the villagers mentioned the latter alone, ignoring the former. Yes, people have the advantage of using this treated waste water for cultivation since they have no other source of water for cultivation. Since not all people can afford to drill a borewell people are okay to pump the treated waste water from the Lake to water their Areca nut and Coconut farms. People have gotten used to Baje cultivation after shifting from wheat cultivation. To sum up the advantage of treated wastewater is to water their farms and Baje plantation and famers spending less on fertilizers.

When we look into the disadvantages of the treated wastewater to the villagers of Bheemasandra, people said, “Will you purify this waste water and then allow the good water into the lake”. Sewage water has been primarily treated and villagers are aware that it is not treated fully. Even though people are relying on treated wastewater for cultivation they complain about the Quality of water. People have seen the reduction in the quality and quantity of Coconut and Areca nut produce. For instance, tender coconut water has become tasteless, coconuts will get spoiled soon and vegetables won’t grow to a good size. Even though the quantity of water is observed to be good in borewells and open wells, people complain of getting the same water. Water from the open wells have become stinky and they cannot use the after for domestic purposes. People had conflicting views on the quality of borewell water that is few said they can grow vegetables using the borewell water but few said their borewell water is also polluted due to the Lake’s water and the usage of borewell water is again limited. 

The other major complaints of treated wastewater includes the RO plants water which couldn’t be stored more than a day, tastelessness, existence of poisonous snakes like Russell Viper (Kolatamandala and huri mandala), some people witnessing skin diseases, high mosquito breeding, increase in weeds. 

It is important to notice the people's confusion on what happens once the government starts pumping the treated wastewater to sell to industries in Vasanthanarsapura and Anthrastanahalli? Villagers being aware of this darker side choose to accept the primarily treated water in spite of their problems. It is now up to the government to choose between farmers and industries. It is worth for the government to look at the huge Baje plantation and farmers’ income before it takes up the decision. 

Let us learn about the fascinating story of Baje in Part 3 of Water Management in Tumakuru City.

-Rakshitha M L

Water management in Tumakuru City - Part 1

Water – Jeevajala

Let me ask you this rather simple question who needs water?

What can I expect as an answer? There is no living thing which doesn’t need water. Is this your answer? You are right.

Well, Water is the source of life for all the  creatures on earth. It is because of water that this planet is not lifeless.

If we had to frame a circle of beneficiaries branching out from the water, we will end up looking at its usage. Of course survival occupies the first place concerning potable water and water for domestic purposes. This is called water for life.

 The next immediate usage is water being used as a major input for livelihoods,  which is the practice of agriculture. Agriculture is the consumptive use of water. Plants take in water through mainly the roots  and evapo-transpire it sending it to the atmosphere as vapor.

After it is used as water for life – for washing clothes, washing dishes, having a shower, using it in the toilet, water  comes out as a waste.  We all known this as wastewater which every city must manage if it were not to pollute our rivers, lakes and streams.

Waste water has associated  costs involved in terms of its collection, conveyance and  treatment. Many towns and cities cannot afford it hence it ends up going out of these urban areas untreated.  Post treatment usage is also an issue to be designed and managed . Can farmers be part of the solution of using untreated and treated wastewater ?

Water also has been the heart of a community called Bhovi. Bhovi is the well digging community who also constructed lakes for over a 1000 years. Bhovis relied on the search or storage of water for their livelihoods. A few decades ago it was just a matter of pumping water from the open well which was all the time full. Now we have stepped into the era of borewells going more than thousand feet to fetch the water. The question arises is the uncertain results on part of farmers investing huge part  of their incomes in the desperate search for water , as well as on the alarming groundwater levels depletion leading  towards unsustainable resource use. 

The only way out is to first understand what is happening around us and then act now. For example,  taking a step towards increasing the ground water table would be a dream impacting all life . Water is however holistic and thus one approach alone cannot work in isolation. Thus, this is an effort to look at the whole image of water with various dimensions. The study on water has its roots in Science and Social sciences like Sociology, Economics, Psychology and Governance. The study aims to achieve sustainability without compromising the livelihoods of dependents. 

Current study is focused on Water Management in Tumakuru City

Let us have a picture of water in Tumakuru city and hinterland:

Tumakuru is yet another city in India struggling to meet the water demand of its population of 300,000. Tumakuru is not self-sufficient in its water supply. It is dependent on Hemavathi river water from Gorur dam situated at Hassan which is about 175 kms. Tumakuru doesn’t incur pumping charges as Bengaluru city does to get water from Hemavathi since water flows through gravity.  The water from Hemavathi is stored at Bugudanahalli Lake which has the capacity of 240Mcft.  Every individual requires 135 liters per day as per design standards of the government. But City Corporation is currently providing 107 liters per day. Tumkur City Corporation charges 2.63 paisa per liter of water.There are 371 lakes in Tumakuru district but the Minor Irrigation department has not been able to provide water for cultivation for four years since the lake water levels was not forty percent full, a minimum required for providing irrigation.There are two water treatment plants and one Sewage Treatment Plant functioning with 25MLD capacity situated at Bheemasandra.  Let us know what's happening to the wastewater in Tumakuru City in Part 2 of Water Management in Tumakuru City.

- Rakshitha M L