A possible solution for Bengaluru’s water crisis: Data

Understanding Bengaluru's water crisis: population growth, freshwater demand, groundwater depletion, and wastewater management for a resilient city.

As Bengaluru grows further outwards and faster than it can cope, water supply is one of the first casualties. Attempting to piece together the puzzle – where Bengaluru’s water comes from, where it is stored, who consumes it, where the wastewater goes – is an essential first step to reduce the city’s vulnerability to floods and drought. We zoom into four different aspects to do this.

The city’s population increased from 8.7 million in 2011 to about 12.6 million in 2021 (projected). Most of the growth has been in the periphery (Maps 1 and 2).

Map 1 | The map shows the ward population in Bengaluru in 2011.

Map 2 | The map shows the ward population in Bengaluru in 2021.

Maps appear incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

We estimate that the total demand for freshwater is approximately 2,632 million litres per day (MLD), which is higher than what is officially supplied through the Cauvery and through groundwater sources. Water from Cauvery that is used for the city’s needs has increased from 940 MLD to 1,460 MLD in the same period which, after subtracting losses, only serves half the demand. In addition, Bengaluru consumes an estimated 1,392 MLD of groundwater. This is worrying because groundwater recharge rates remain significantly lower than extraction rates.

Also read: Bengaluru, the parched IT capital of India