Water woes | Demand goes up for RWH systems in Bengaluru
The Hindu
Bengaluru faces water crisis, leading to increased demand for Rain Water Harvesting systems to meet conservation norms.
With the water crisis continuing in Bengaluru and the water conservation norms of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) getting stricter, there has been a spike in demand for Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) systems in the city.
In the month of March, service providers saw a large number of customers seeking consultation for apartment complexes and commercial buildings as they turned to long-term solutions to meet their water needs as borewells ran dry and tanker prices skyrocketed.
“In September and December, when there was no rain, we hardly used to get any inquiry. One or two inquiries per day used to be the norm. Now, because of the water scarcity in the city, I get 20 to 25 calls every day,” said Vivek Chandra, owner of Nesara Rainwater Harvesting in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. He said that while he has been in business for 12 years now, this is the first time such interest has been observed.
Meanwhile, Manjunath C., the owner of Sri Ram Rain Water Harvesting in Kasturi Nagar, said that this was the first time he received so many calls in the six years of his business. Many callers approach him when their borewells have dried up. “We usually recommend the clients to fit recharge filters instead of wasting the rainwater,” he said.
“For a smaller residence on a 30X40 site, it costs around ₹10,000-12,000. For a bigger apartment, it goes with the existing piping system that they have. If the builder has given proper rainwater piping, the cost will be within the normal range. If the builder has not provided conducive piping, then new pipes have to be laid for the rainwater harvesting and the cost will be a little higher,” Mr. Chandra said.
Concerns about the space and cost of the RWH systems have kept many customers from getting these systems installed on their premises.
A resident of an apartment complex in Shantinagar said “We considered installing an RWH, however, there is not enough space in the premises for rainwater to be collected.”
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