Urban Water

Bengaluru now has an actionplan to restore its waterbodies after the Karnataka High Court accepted the report of a committee appointed to prepare a framework for the preservation of the city's lakes. The court had appointed the committee headed by Justice NK Patil in November last year to examine the ground realities while formulating a framework for restoration of lakes.

Initially used to buy 3-4 tankers per day with limited supply of water like in morning 1.5hrs., Noon 1 hr & Night 1.5hrs for the last 11 to 12 months. Now we have 24 hrs water and buying only 2 tankers per day.

In a landmark ruling today, the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka accepted the report of a committee it constituted to examine the ground realities and prepare an action plan for the preservation of lakes in the city of Bangalore. This report was sought by an interim direction of Chief Justice Mr. J. S. Khehar and Justice A. S.

The lakes are now faced with the impacts of rapid urbanization and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been consolidating management of the majority of the city’s lakes under its control in the recent years. The survey dealt with 35 lakes in 10 sub chains in Mahadevpura. The report describes current status, studies changes in extent, and suggests steps for reclamation and conservation.

The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance newsletter for February 2011. Newsletter focuses on all activities concerning rainwater harvesting.

• Potential water availability from rainwater harvesting in India
  Rainwater harvesting can play an important role in supplying urban dwellers with water. The impermeable roof surfaces that are widespread within a city, lend themselves perfectly to the collection of rainwater.

It underlines, in this regard, the importance of a responsible municipal fiscal and financial system, simplification of existing water pricing and tariff structures, and regulatory mechanisms which are able to balance the interests of the producers and consumers of urban services.

Clear Solution to Clean Water

Organizer: India Water Expo

Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai

India’s Groundwater Challenge and the Way Forward
P S Vijay Shankar , Himanshu Kulkarni , Sunderrajan Krishnan

The groundwater crisis is acquiring alarming proportions in many parts of the country. Strategies to respond to groundwater overuse and deteriorating water quality must be based on a new approach involving typologising the resource problems and redefining the institutional structure governing groundwater. This approach is based on the notion of groundwater as common property.

The Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Bill, 2009 aims to facilitate and ensure sustainable and adequate supply of groundwater of prescribed quality, for various category of users, through supply and demand management measures, protecting public drinking water sources and to establish the State Groundwater Authority and District Level Authorities to manage and to regulate, with community participation, the exploitation of groundwater within the State of Maharashtra.

At the request of the Planning Commission, Arghyam and WaterAid agreed to co-ordinate and support a process of civil society consultation for inputs on rural and urban domestic water and sanitation for generating recommendations for the Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan of the Government of India.

A glimpse of the audience