Bangalore, India
Bangalore, the capital and largest city in the Indian state of Karnataka, is home to 8.4 million people and almost 13 million in the greater metropolitan area. Bangalore is a megacity and widely referred to as India’s “Silicon Valley,” it has been ranked as the most liveable city. Bangalore has a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet (May to October, with rain peaking in May and September/October) and dry (November to April) seasons and generally sees moderate temperatures throughout the year with the occasional summer heatwave. Rainfall in the city varies from as low as 500mm to over 1300mm. However, the average year receives approximately 970mm though this figure is becoming increasingly unpredictable due, in part, to climate change.
Currently, around 20% of the city’s population lives in informal settlements, and about 60% of households rely on water supplied by private tankers or private borewells. While most wealthier residents can afford to dig private wells, poorer residents must rely on tankers with no quality testing, thereby significantly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases. Water tariffs in Bangalore are set in slab rates depending on consumption. There is a minimum charge of Rs 56 (USD 0.76) on every consumer, plus a rate of Rs 7 per 1,000L up to 8,000L; Rs 11 per 1,000L from 8,001L to 25,000L; Rs 25 per 1,000L from 25,001 to 50,000L; and Rs 45 per 1,000L for 50,001L and above. There are plans in place to raise water tariffs to help expense recovery. The non-revenue water rate is around 50%, one of the highest in urban India.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Board (BWSSB), established in 1964, is responsible for water supply and sanitation in Bangalore. BWSSB supplies approximately 900 million liters of water to the city each day, falling short of the demand of 1.3 billion liters. As part of the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (CWSS), the BWSSB draws more water to meet the city’s increasing demand from the Cauvery River. They are also looking to continue expanding the CWSS, with the Stage V project being fast-tracked to supply an additional 775 million liters per day to villages on the city’s outskirts by 2023. The BWSSB has implemented rainwater harvesting; however, the enforcement and monitoring of this regulation remain unknown. Despite Bangalore’s economic growth over the last few decades, investment in the water supply and sewerage networks remains low, hindering infrastructure development.
