Karnataka

The study analyses the surface and groundwater quality of Ghataprabha representative basin during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. It looks at the primary impact of land use and cropping pattern on water quality using physico-chemical analysis, geo-chemical classification of groundwater samples and monitoring of groundwater quality.

Streeter-Phelp’s model is applied to understand the variation of dissolved oxygen along the course of the river from a point source. The study attempts to understand the impact of irrigation return-flow and use of pesticides, fertilizers & manures on surface and groundwater quality. The literature review offered indicates a dearth of studies on the subject for hard rock catchments and puts forward the need to do basin-wide as against area-wide studies.

The study deals with the estimation of hydrological soil properties of the area of Lokapavani River in KR Sagar Command in Mandya district of Karnataka. The properties determined are soil texture, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, specific gravity and soil moisture characteristics.

The disturbed and undisturbed soil samples from eighteen locations along different depths were collected and analyzed. Eighty-five disturbed soil samples were used to determine the grain size distribution, porosity, specific gravity and soil moisture characteristic curves with the help of electromagnetic sieve shaker, master sizer, GeoPyc and pressure plate apparatus. Twenty undisturbed soil samples were used to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity with ICW Permeameter.

The naturally undulating terrain of Bangalore city, with its hills and valleys, lends itself perfectly to the development of lakes that impound rainwater, store it for future use and ensure ground water recharge. Lakes are thus live ecological systems, and play a crucial role in the supporting life, including human.

Lakes in Bangalore were designed in cascades from higher to lower elevations; as a lake overflowed the excess water would flow into the next lake in the cascade. The flow of water is from North to South-east as well North to South-west along the natural gradient of the land.

The presentation from the ENVIS - CES (IISc) website, emphasises the important role that the tank system has played in the development of the city of Bangalore and highlights:

•  The principles behind the working of the tank system
• The process of evolution of the tank system with respect to the growth of the city
• The underlying planning principles that were used in the tank system
• The role and importance of water tanks as an asset to the city
• The relationship between the system of tanks and the city of Bangalore
• The usefulness of the tanks as an important source of drinking water and agriculture in lean periods

These two documents from the KSPCB website, provide monthly water quality status data, for the rivers Tungabhadra, Cauvery and Kabini, monitored between January to June 2007, at various points along the rivers.

The data recorded are Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Faecal Coliform.

The Urban Development Policy, Karnataka has been developed, by the Department of Urban Development (Government of Karnataka), as a response to the challenges that are being faced by the state due to rapid urbanisation leading to:

• An increase in population in urban areas due to migration
• Increase in the number of poor residents in urban areas
• Infrastructural shortfall on several fronts
• Shortage of resources
• The challenge of ensuring the basic welfare of the poor in urban areas
• The increasing need for strengthening governance, planning and administration

Organizers:

• AME Foundation
• Association for Promotion of Organic Farming (APOF)
• Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR)
• Alumni Association

Venue: UAS Alumni Association (Next to Veterinary College) Bellary Road, Hebbal, Bangalore - 560024

Awards distributed to the winners of Lost lakes of Bangalore – A video contest

The awards ceremony of the Lost lakes of Bangalore video contest was held on July 3, 2010 at the TERI auditorium, Domlur.

The contest had two categories of entries – general (aimed at citizens) and the student category.

The Lost lakes of Bangalore contest elicited 23 student category and 15 general category videos, covering 32 lakes of the city.

The awards ceremony was well attended by students, participants and several citizens of Bangalore. Ms. Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Arghyamreinvigorated the youth to participate in redefining our lifestyles in order to reach sustainable consumption patterns.

The paper critically evaluates the Greater Bangalore Water and Sanitation Project (GWSAP), implemented by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). This project aims to extend piped water supply from the Cauvery to over two million residents in peri-urban Bangalore. This ambitious project has been viewed against the backdrop of the broader trends and debates around market-based reforms in the water sector in Karnataka.