Water crisis is a global issue. Here’s how to address it

INVEST IN WATER INFRA: The current crisis has hit mainly Bengaluru’s tech hubs that are dependent on ground water and tankers. Also, water leakage is a larger concern in our cities where 39% of the water supply is lost before it reaches homes. Urban utilities need to invest, ahead of time, on water infrastructure – piped water supply, smart meters to track usage and efficient distribution to curb leakages.

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH PUSH: Bengaluru’s population surged from 4.1 million in 2001 to 14.4 million in 2020. This relentless growth has led to depletion of groundwater and drying up of bore-wells. While policies around rainwater harvesting etc have been around, what is required is a strong concerted effort to go beyond lip service and tokenism and lay thrust on outcomes and impact.

RESTORING WATER BODIES: The city of lakes has seen its water bodies encroached, vanish or misused. It is critical to rejuvenate them. Efficient treatment and recycling of waste water is critical. Activists and NGOs of Bengaluru have been working tirelessly to restore and revitalize the city’s lakes and recharge the groundwater. Policy makers must join forces with such partners to amplify reach and efforts.


DATA & TOOLS: Globally, water-saving techniques like calibrated pressure management in water pipes have delivered impressive reduction in demand. In the digital era, where data is available on tap, it is important that real time data on water consumption and water reserves are important to equip both consumers and water utilities for efficient management and governance of water.

BEHAVIOURAL NUDGES: Behavioural economics makes a strong case for pushing for positive nudges to co-opt citizens as important stakeholders in water conservation. For example, in Cape Town digital mapping allowed households to track water consumption in real time. A big thrust on transparent public communication right from water levels in dams to advertisements to conserve water created citizen awareness too yielded good results..