The presentation highlights the various initiatives of BWSSB in promoting RWH in Bangalore. These include rain barrels, recharging an open well and other initiations.

1. Bangalore Geographical Setting
• City on a ridge line between 860 to 920 metres above
MSL
• City falls into 2 river basins – Cauvery and Palar
• Allocation from Cauvery is limited and therefore a
physical limit to water that can be drawn from river.
• River Arkavathy –
– First source now almost dry and the reservoirs
(Hessarghatta and T.G.Halli) on it no longer reliable.
– 35 + 135 = 170 MLD no longer available to Bangalore.

2. Cauverycolour is the Arkavathy basin, now
Red river basin –
Bangalore
drying

3. Water Sources City
Water Sources for Bangalore for Bangalore
TRANSMISSION PIPE
LINE INSIDE CITY
Bangalore
5 No’s
TRANSMISSION PIPE
LINE FROM WTP

4. Population Growth
Population growth

5. Bangalore Water – Some Firsts
• First city water utility to be set up in India BWSSB 1964
• First to use an Increasing Block Tariff and also a propoor approach
• One of the highest heads & distance to pump water
100 Kms & 500 M.
• Embodied energy 1.80 units per KL of water to pump.
• One of the costliest waters in India. Production cost
Rs 32/KL
• Now is the notified authority for the city as part of
creation of the Groundwater Authority in the State.

6. The Bangalore Context
• High price of water – both in energy and cost.
• Physical limit to availability 1350 MLD
• Rapid expansion of city 3 million people added
between 2001 and 2011 (present population > 9
million)
• Fast growing non-domestic and industrial demand
from mainly service and manufacturing sectors
• Rain fall pattern well distributed, ideal for RWH
– Average Annual - 970mm
– Minimum/Maximum in a month - 2.70/195 mm

7. Consequence of Over Exploitation of Ground Water
I. Steep Decline in Water levels
2. Decreased Yield in Bore wells
3. Failure of Bore wells.
4. Ground Water Quality Deterioration

8. Bangalore- The culture of the well

9. Schematic of Roof top RWH

10. The Slogan- Every Roof A Catchment

11. Pattern of RWH Programme
 Direct use of harvested rain water through
sumps
- receiving and delivery piping system
- filters
- sump for collecting rain water
- pumping system
 Artificial recharge to groundwater through
scientifically planned structure

12. Rain Barrel: Easiest way to begin RWH

13. Recharging an open well

14. Action to Implement Rain Water Harvesting
•
Specifications
•
Legislative backing Training Programme
•
Mass Awareness Programme
•
Logistical support and Help desk
•
Rain Water Harvesting Theme Park

15. Implementation of RWH – Initiation by BWSSB
 Specifications
- Storage or recharge to be created for
- Roof area - 20 litres per square metre
- Paved area -10 litres per square metre
- Recharge well to be a minimum depth of 3 metres
 Amendment to BWSSB Act by adding para 72-A vide
Gazette notification 2009 making RWH mandatory.
 Formation of HELP DESK in with association of KSCST.
 Mass Awareness Programmes with publicity campaign
 Training Programmes

16. Initiation by BWSSB
 55 Training programmes in association with KSCST.
 1600 BWSSB Plumbers, individuals trained
 70 Public Awareness & Abhiyana programmes conducted
 Publicity & promotional materials distributed.
 T V Programmes & Radio Programmes conducted
 RWH system initiated on all Govt. and BWSSB Buildings
including Residences of CM and other dignitaries
 More than 51,000 Houses implemented RWH

17. A file photo of School Children Jatha

18. 60 Days Rain Water Harvesting 13th Abhiyana
programme on 14-06-2010

19. 9th Popular Lectures and Success Stories on RWH

20. 50th RWH Training programme conducted for
Plumbers/Contractors/Others on 12-03-2013.

21. Learning skills have been imparted to plumbers
Muniappa, the well digger
who has dug more than
2000 recharge wells

22. Demonstration units
• Recharge well in the channel or off the channel
• Arrangements to remove silt and leaves before water
enters recharge well
• Rate of recharge decide on the number of recharge wells
necessary for the catchment
Open wells and borewells are being revived

23. Implementation Of RWH in BWSSB Office

24. Functions of Helpdesk
• Technical details to the visitors and to public via helpline
• Idea is to implement RWH in Scientific way and similar
manner throughout city.
• Collecting Feed back/opinion from Visitors about the
technical details provided
• Conducting Training programme to Engineers, Architects,
contractors, plumbers etc,…
• Create awareness among public and school & college
students
• Conducting Orientation programme to Officials.

25. Status of category wise RWH implemented Structure
Category of Building
Domestic Buildings
Commercial Buildings
Partially commercial Building
Industries
Apartments
Commercial High rise Building
Others
Government Building
Total
Recharging
ground
33700
5863
2130
87
5078
172
138
125
45153
Storage &
Use
3879
860
368
27
612
51
23
55
5875

26. Rainwater Harvesting Theme Park

27. Rainwater Harvesting Theme Park

28. Aerial View of Theme Park

29. Sir M.Visvesvaraya RWH Theme Park Visitors
March 2011 to October
2013
During
November-13
Total No of Publics
5061
44
Total No of VIPs
1226
20
48
0
Total no of Press Reporter
Schools
College
No of Schools
146
No of Students
No of College
4
8668
57
No of Students
177
1
1342
40
1045
3
Feedback Information
81
0
No. of other Govt.
Officials
213
Total No Telephone calls
Total no of Visitors
Grand Total: from Mar-11 to Nov-13
0
16639
281
16920
Total visitors from Mar-2011 to Nov-2013—16,920

30. RWH Theme Park features
Porous
Pathways
Green
stormwater
drains

31. Storage Structures
Storage
Ground
Recharge

32. Wall mounted filters
Popup
Referb india
Rainy
Leaf Slide
Global Resource
FFL & Sand bed

33. Dr. A. Ravindra, IAS, Ex Chief Secretary, Advisor to the Chief
Minister visited the park on 13-3-2012

34. School children being given a know how on Rain
Water Harvesting at theme park

35. Foreign delegates from Bangladesh, Australia, France, Ethiopia,
Paris on 19-01-2012 at the park with helpdesk engineer

36. Results & Findings
• RWH implemented 51000
– Recharging ground 86%
– Storage and use 14%
• Evaluation of 1000 RWH systems by CSD during
January 2012.
– About 90% installations are as per BWSSB guidelines
– Remaining 10% for space constrain could not meet as
per guidelines

37. Impact of RWH on
• Water conservation and recharge
• Spawned a new industry
• Livelihoods
- Jobs created for plumbers, semi skilled
workers and well diggers
• Innovation
– Spawned design of filters and first rain
separators
– More than 50 filter options are now available
creating an industry

38. Responsibility
• Public have realised value of RWH system for
their needs which reduces dependency on
BWSSB and conventional sources
• People have put in their monies to harvest
rain creating a sense of ownership which will
ensure that they take care of their systems
• Public have understood the value of water

39. Replicability of Programme
 Bangalore is one of the important cities where water
problem has escalated because of population explosion
and Growth.
 Many cities in country are facing similar problems
 Bye-laws are simplest and most likely to be taken up in
all the 213 towns of Karnataka shortly
 Rainwater theme park is the first of its kind in country
and will likely to be replicated in many cities as per the
Parliamentary standing Committee recommendation
 Programme implemented by BWSSB will go a long way in
serving as a model for other cities in the state and the
country

40. Sustainability
• Storing water for future productive views
• Sustainability of Ground Water Resources
through RWH and Artificial Recharge
• Less dependency on stakeholder Water supply
• Reduce stress on surface water
• Availability of water (Water Vende)
• Cost of harvested rain water < Re. 1/KL.
• Simple and long lasting system.
• Improve Ground water Quality

41. Uniqueness of BWSSB’s RWH
•
•
•
•
•
Technical specifications, simple regulations
Legislative support
Theme park, first of its kind
People involvement
Integrated, cohesive system, easy to
understand

42. Sri DIP Gogoi M.P., Hon’ble Chairman of Parliamentary
Standing Committee on “Water Resources”, visited Park on
03-02-2013 & writing his opinion about the Park

43. Group photo of Parliamentary Committee on “Water
Resources”, with BWSSB Officials and Central Ground
Water Board Officials on 03-02-2013

44. Photo : Norma Angelica Hernandez Bernal