Thirsty. City in deep waters

Thirsty. City in deep waters

July 11th, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, July 10: Nearly 10 per cent of Bengaluru’s drinking water is pumped from Chamarajasagar in Tippa Gondana Halli situated about 35 km from city.
The dam has a capacity of pumping 135 Million Litres per Day (MLD) water to Bengaluru but alterations in the catchment area of the dam has hit the inflow of water and the monsoon hasn’t even completed two months.
As compared to last year’s water level of 32.7 feet, on July 10 it was only 14.9 feet. Water analysts from the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board say that despite the rising water levels, the water intake is 30 per cent lower than last year due to alterations to the catchment area. TG Halli dam dates back to the 1930s when this verdant spot ringed with hills was chosen out of five different dam sites by Sir M. Visvesvaraya as it was the meeting point of the rivers Arkavathi and Kumudvathi.
The village Kootlu was shifted and a dam built across Arkavathi in 1930s. Ever since, the old parts of Bengaluru including Rajajinagar, Nandini Layout and West of Chord Road surroundings were provided with water from TG Halli. Even today about 60 MLD of water is pumped in to feed Bengaluru.
“The dam has never opened its gates to release excess water since 1998. If filled to maximum capacity, the city can have about 135 MLD of potable water supplied to old parts of Bengaluru for two years. Rampant depletion of ground water table and alteration in the catchment area of river Arkavathi which is as large as 580 square miles of catchment area has hampered the in flow to the dam. We are experiencing 30 per cent deficit in the inflow as compared to the normal rain received in the last few months between Bengaluru and T G Halli,” H.K. Raghunath, water analyst from BWSSB at T G Halli Dam explained.
“Since the ground water is depleting, the rainwater is percolating in the catchment area. There is no flooding as water has been entering the dam for the past 10 years. If the numbers of borewells is restricted, more the rainwater will reach the dam,” he added.
Water experts say the water of Arkavathi is sweeter than the Cauvery River and also far more economical if supplied to Bengaluru more efficiently. The experts are pressing for a more judicious use of costly potable water that is currently supplied to Bengaluru.
“Large amount of treated water goes waste and is not reused. The TG Halli dam can be a potential water storage point for Bengaluru if utilised in a sustainable manner,” said a water expert from the Central Pollution Control Board, Bengaluru.