Is Bengaluru harvesting enough rainwater? Well, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and independent water harvesting experts can’t see eye to eye over this.
We’re okay: The BWSSB says that the city is doing a-okay when it comes to rainwater harvesting (RHW). Till now, more than 1.7 lakh properties have installed RHW systems and another 25,000 buildings are expected to join by March 2023. Out of that, only 5-6% of the buildings attract fines for not harvesting enough water.
Needs a push: Water activists have said that, while inquiries of RWH systems have gone up, when it comes to actual installations, disagreements of financing usually hurt the numbers. Only around 10% of the properties in the city peripheries take RWH seriously. The rest only install the system to get their NOCs from authorities.
- Why it matters: While installation can cost anything from ₹15,000 for independent homes to ₹15 lakh for 500-unit apartment complexes, the return on investment is worth it. An association can recover around ₹2.25 lakh in just 2 months of installation. The RWH systems can also meet 40% of the city’s water needs.