Metering and Pricing

Vishwanath Srikantaiah, popularly known as the 'Rainman', has been in the news recently for his ambitious project to build one million recharge wells in Bengaluru. Given the dire situation we find ourselves in vis-à-vis water, the initiative could not have come at a better time.

INTRODUCTION

While India has experienced dynamic growth over the past few years, enormous challenges remain in the water supply and sanitation sector. As a part of the Nation’s vision various national initiatives are currently underway to improve the levels of cleanliness through solid and liquid waste management activities and providing every person in rural and urban India with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic basic needs on a sustainable basis.

A recent BBC report projected that Bengaluru will run out of water soon.

Yes, it was a superficial list of cities that already have water problem. It just pronounced the harsh verdict without any in-depth analysis of the factors involved. That’s like taking a casual look at an emaciated man and saying, “he is going to die soon”.

Faecal coliform contamination found to be significantly higher in rivers around holy sites

The problem of Bengaluru’s water is well known. The demand for water tankers skyrockets during the summer months, when municipal and borewell water supplies run dry, and many of the city’s lakes, actually man-made tanks, lie neglected and polluted.