The second edition of Urban Waters Forum workshop 2023 was conducted on the 15th and 16th of March 2023 and brought together water practitioners from across the country for knowledge sharing, including new developments in their respective domains of work. There were around 60+ members, who included academicians, lake group members, water professionals and government officials, and representatives from various states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.

1. Report on Urban Waters Forum Workshop
March 15-16, 2023

2. CONTENTS
Introduction 2
Field visits 3
Plenary - Framing the challenges of water management for the town / city 7
Feedback on ‘National Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines’ document 9
Panel 1 - Shallow aquifer in the city 10
Panel 2 - Used water and its management: urban and the peri-urban 12
Panel 3 - City & the monsoon experience: building resilience 14
Conclusion 17
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3. Introduction
In 2019, Biome Trust and Wipro came together to organise and conduct a two-day Urban
Waters workshop, in Bengaluru. There were around 42 delegates who attended this event.
Participants included academicians, lake group members, water professionals, government
officials and representatives from various states like Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal,
Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Karnataka. The workshop proved to be a great forum
for people from different backgrounds to come together, interact and share their knowledge
and experience. It was envisioned that such events would be conducted annually to
facilitate regular interactions and sharing of knowledge among interested stakeholders.
More details about the event can be found here:
https://biometrust.blogspot.com/2019/05/april-25th-2019-urban-water-workshop.html
After a gap of three years due to the pandemic, the Urban Waters Forum workshop 2023
was conducted on the 15th and 16th of March 2023 and brought together water
practitioners from across the country for knowledge sharing, including new developments
in their respective domains of work.
The first day of the workshop was scheduled to have field visits to see the integration of
shallow aquifers into water supply systems, and to understand the challenges of peri-urban
town water management. The team visited:
1. Open wells revived in Hunasamaranahalli TMC
2. Open well in Devanahalli, located adjacent to the SihiNeer Kere (lake)
3. Devanahalli Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant
The purpose was to show how local community action has driven local water resource
management.
After the field visits, a plenary session was organised to discuss and set the context/frame
the challenges of water management in urban settings. On the second day, urban water
practitioners shared their work on local water resource management. The themes varied
from ‘shallow aquifer in the city’, to ‘used water and its management’ and ‘the city & the
monsoon experience’.
These interactions among practitioners were intended to create pathways for potential
solutions and future collaborations.
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4. Field visits
There is a great diversity of urbanisation today in the country - from the metropolitan city
to the census town. A common thread in this urbanisation is the critical role groundwater
plays in the emergence and evolution of urban areas, and therefore it has become
imperative to manage it better. If the revival of the shallow aquifer is carefully curated, it
can have a tremendous impact, from flood and drought mitigation, to improving water
security in urban India and responding to the water quality issues that cities often grapple
with. There is a need to make open wells visible, so that citizens begin to see them once
again as viable sources of water and recognize the interconnected nature of our water
systems.
At the same time, managing the wastewater generated, which is often seen as a problem,
needs a reimagination and a reuse strategy, with appropriate ‘fit-for-purpose’ standards,
such that it becomes a climate mitigation strategy while contributing to the water and
nutrient cycle for agriculture and ecology.
To showcase examples of sustainable groundwater and wastewater management, the
workshop participants visited two different wells in Hunasamaranahalli, which have been
revived and integrated into the municipal supply system; a lake being filled with treated
wastewater, in turn filling up an adjacent open well, from where water is being filtered and
used for agriculture and domestic needs; and lastly, the faecal sludge treatment plant in
Devanahalli.
Open wells revived in Hunasamaranahalli TMC
The team visited two open wells in Hunasamaranahalli, one near Sonnappanahalli School
and another near the Aviation College. Shivanand RS and Avinash Krishnamurthy from
Biome spoke about the involvement of Biome with the municipality, which began by
working together on the Sonnappanahalli school rainwater harvesting system.
We were joined by Mr Venkate Gowda, headmaster of Sonnappanahalli School, who
championed Biome and facilitated the conversation with the municipal council for the
revival of these wells. He shared the history of these wells and the dependence of the
community on them to meet their domestic water needs. Well-digger Shankar and his team,
present at the site, also shared their experience of rejuvenating the wells and took the
participants through the revival process in detail. Ms Rajni, a Civil Engineer at the TMC,
spoke about the groundwater scenario in their town and the depletion of the aquifer with
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5. borewells going as deep as 1500 ft. She talked about the need to bring attention to open
wells and groundwater recharge.
Well near Sonnappanahalli School, Hunasamaranahalli TMC
Biome started working in the Sonnappanahalli Village area through ISA water literacy
training by the Jal Jeevan Mission. Venkate Gowda, the headmaster of the Sonnappanahalli
School, represented the panchayat for the Jal Jeevan Mission. This well was chosen
because it was already being used by the community nearby. Only secondary work, such
as painting the well, adding grills, etc, was done. Rainwater harvesting was done in the
Sonnappanahalli School, and a well on the school campus was rejuvenated. Water quality
kits have been given to children in the school. The Eco Club in the school regularly
monitors the water quality in and around the school.
Well near Sonnappanahalli School, Hunasamaranahalli TMC
Well near Aviation College, Hunasamaranahalli TMC
This well was dug by the labourers who had come to this area to work in the agricultural
fields nearby. Over the course of time, the agricultural land was converted into layouts
with residential apartments and educational institutes. Ramanjenappa and his father were
the well’s caretakers. The Aviation College, apartments, and houses around the well use
water from this well, since the area was a village and is now a town. There are plans to
work with the TMC to bring together all users of the well and get their commitment to
make recharge structures for the well, desilt it every three years, integrate it into the
water supply system, and use it sustainably.
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6. Aviation College well, Hunasamaranahalli TMC
Water meters have been installed on every pipeline to consistently monitor usage and
better understand demand management. It was also noted that during the desilting of the
well, different points of water inlets were found within the well. The well supplies around
200 kilolitres of water per day. There are plans to work with the TMC and create a water
security plan.
Sihineer Kere, Devanahalli
After lunch, the participants visited the revived open well near Sihineer Kere in
Devanahalli. Avinash and Shivanand from Biome spoke about Biome’s association with the
municipality, and also explained the details of the Karnataka Govt’s treated wastewater
transfer project.
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7. Open well near Sihineer Kere that is receiving treated wastewater
In November 2021, in an effort to recharge lakes, the Minor Irrigation Department
started pumping 210 MLD of treated wastewater to fill 65 lakes in the arid areas of
Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, and Chikkaballapur. Sihineer Kere near Devanahalli is
one of the lakes which received this treated wastewater. The lake used to be Devanahalli’s
primary drinking water source before it went dry for two decades. Around 2017, the
Devanahalli Taluk Panchayat along with TMC started desilting work of SihiNeeru Kere.
There was a 5ft dia 30ft deep open well adjacent to the lake. Over the years the well had
dried up, fallen into disrepair and had been abandoned. During desilting work, the town
was about to close this well. Biome intervened at this juncture to revive this well, so that
it is kept ready to receive water from the shallow aquifer as and when the lake gets water
from its catchments. In anticipation of this Well yielding during good rains, Biome
facilitated cleaning and strengthening the structure; the work was carried out by well
digger Peddanna and his team.
Subsequently, as a result of receiving waters from the treated domestic wastewater
project and the copious rainfall received by Devanahalli in 2022 , the inflow into Sihineer
Kere increased. The combined effect led to the yielding of the open well which had been
revived earlier. At this juncture, Biome intervened again to get the well cleaned so as to
keep it ready for formal integration into Devanahalli's water supply system. The work of
cleaning the well was carried out by well-digger Shankar and his team, supported by
SayTrees.
The Devanahalli TMC supplies around 5 lakh litres of water to the town through
borewells located around the Sihineer Kere. With the open well next to Sihineer Kere
revived and yielding around 1.2-1.5 lakh litres of water a day, there is a unique
opportunity to demonstrate the use of an open well as part of the public water supply
system.
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8. Sihineer Kere lake, Devanahalli TMC
Though the water quality of the well is found to satisfy the drinking water standards, a
filtration system is being planned to mitigate the risk of any contamination of the open
well water, before being integrated into the water supply system.
Devanahalli has the unique opportunity to become a “model water town” that
demonstrates the sustainable use and management of the shallow aquifer (open wells)
and thus inspires people to come together and revive other open wells in Devanahalli,
creating several decentralised systems for pumping water locally to the houses,
contributing to its water security.
FSTP, Devanahalli
The last stop was the faecal sludge treatment plant in Devanahalli, to understand the
sanitation system processes adopted by the peri-urban town, and their challenges. Set up in
2015, with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) grant to the Bremen Overseas
Research and Development Association (BORDA), it was the first planned town-scale FSTP
in the country. The workshop participants were taken through the detailed technical design
of the plant, and shown the outcome as a result of composting faecal sludge.
Open House Discussion
During the visit, several points around shallow aquifers were discussed, as listed below:
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9. ● The process of well-digging, rejuvenation, and treatment. Precautions taken by the
well-diggers to ensure their safety during the process
● The function of wells beyond meeting the usual types of water demand, e.g. for
various rituals, and thus becoming heritage structures
● Challenges in facilitating conversations with the municipal council about shallow
aquifer/well revival, and establishing water and heritage connections with the town
● Challenges faced with budget allocation for reviving wells, due to pre-allocated
grants and the lack of flexibility to use the money for other projects, and therefore
the need for CSR
● Precautions to mitigate the contamination of the shallow aquifer, and the need for
continuous monitoring and testing for physical, chemical, and biological parameters,
for maintaining a viable source
● Possibilities of fixing a small treatment plant to each well to ensure water potability
● The need for a "comprehensive" plan integrating land use, water, and sanitation into
one masterplan and the coordination between different departments for
appropriate planning and budget allocation
● The interests, competition, and tensions around the use of groundwater, between
informal users, the municipal council and others, and therefore the need for a forum
for resolving this competition and conflict, while addressing demand management
and continuous recharge for replenishment
● The need for understanding the annual extraction, monitoring fluctuations during
different seasons, and quantifying the volume of recharge required to bring up the
water levels even further
Plenary - Framing the challenges of water management for the town / City
Mr Lingaraj Dinni from Wipro spoke about the history of setting up the Urban Waters
Forum. He outlined the forum webspace, which is envisioned as a repository for the shared
knowledge and interests of various organisations, communities and individuals working in
the water sector.
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10. Plenary: Dr Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Dr Himanshu Kulkarni and Mr Vishwanath Srikantaiah (left to right)
The quest to be more responsible corporate citizens, and to address the challenges of
collective stewardship of our common urban water resources, especially groundwater
aquifers and local lakes. To set the context for the workshop, we had three speakers - Dr
Jagdish Krishnaswamy (IIHS), Mr Vishwanath Srikantaiah (Biome Environmental Trust),
and Dr Himanshu Kulkarni (ACWADAM) - talk about the social, ecological, economic and
institutional perspectives of water management.
Dr Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Dr Jagdish shared his experiences on urban ecological issues, the interface between
humans and biodiversity, and the need for conservation not just in forests but also in
semi-wild and urban areas. With the changing climate, he highlighted the key role
biodiversity plays in urban spaces, within the gamut of waterbody rejuvenation, sustainable
fisheries, and ecology. He spoke of the complex linkages between biodiversity and water,
that influence the type and number of flora and fauna of ecosystems. Lastly, he touched on
the need for data, which will help people protect these water bodies for their own health
and safety.
With the example of Gangetic river dolphins, he highlighted the coexistence of species in
peri-urban and urban settings, wherein interventions are often disturbing and disrupting
(i.e. the existence of Gangetic river dolphins, despite movement of ferries, and noise from
mechanised boat traffic, fishing activities and introduction of invasive species). However, he
emphasised understanding and defining the limits to this coexistence.
Dr Himanshu Kulkarni, ACWADAM, Pune
Dr Himanshu Kulkarni spoke about the need for reimagining institutions, especially in the
water sector, not as organisations, but by the values, rules, and laws each one holds. He
touched upon the importance of groundwater, and for policy and governance to formally
recognize and integrate it into the larger constitutional framework. At the same time, he
highlighted the need for mapping aquifers in the urban context, and citizens to be actively
engaged in documenting and managing water resources.
He also spoke about the relationship between groundwater and disaster management, and
highlighted groundwater as a heritage resource, which we are losing to unmanaged
construction. He also outlined the 7 Ps - Principles, Processes, Participation, Praxis, Policy,
Partnership and Plurality - to manage groundwater.
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11. Mr Vishwanath Srikantaiah, Biome Environmental Trust
Mr Vishwanath talked about the need for reimagining cities as water and fertiliser factories
that generate 70% of the state’s GDP, and education. He also spoke about water being an
ecologically scarce resource, and the need for proper fit-for-purpose treatment and reuse of
wastewater, to ensure the health of water sources. He asked pertinent questions such as
‘Does the city have the right to access water from other watersheds/basins, and if so, how
much can be justifiably accessed?’, ‘What should be the price of water, if access to water is a
human right?’, ‘If water has to be paid for, should transport, wastewater generation, etc, be
considered in pricing?’.
He outlined the framework for water management with the three Es - i.e. to first have social
equity, then provide for ecology and finally, balance economics. He emphasised the need for
equity and universal coverage of water distribution systems, between competing uses and
users. He also highlighted how data is especially useful when the community has access to
it for decision-making, which is otherwise done by large institutions, making it
'a-democratic'.
He spoke about the decentralised availability of rainwater and shallow aquifer water, and
highlighted how it has the lowest economic cost with the least carbon emission with 1/10th
the energy expenditure, and therefore is a climate mitigation strategy.
Feedback on the ‘National Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines’ document
While decentralised harvesting of rainwater is considered a sustainable practice in the
urban scenario, every town or city needs to think about RWH in its own unique context and
be clear about the objectives it wants to achieve for itself in the long term. In order to
successfully achieve the appropriate RWH objectives, various facets may need to be
considered. For example, what kind of RWH system is most suitable for the particular
town/city, how to communicate to the citizenry and increase awareness, the need for a
vibrant service provider ecosystem to support the implementation etc.
As part of this workshop, a working session to solicit comments and reactions to the
National Urban Rain Water Harvesting Guidelines (NURWHG) document was facilitated.
The evolving draft document intends to capture guidelines that can be used at the National
level for rainwater harvesting (RWH).
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12. Select respondents addressed the participants, and further feedback from various other
participants was noted, to include the following points:
● Their views on the usefulness of such a document
● Comments on the content and structure of this document
● Processes to share/disseminate further for policy consideration
Panel 1 - Shallow aquifers in the city
Shallow aquifers played an important role in the water supply system until borewells and
piped water systems came into the picture. However, they still continue to play a crucial
role, and can serve as a cost-effective and easily accessible resource, supplementing or even
replacing uncertain water sources such as borewells. By prioritising the protection and
management of these aquifers, cities can ensure a reliable water supply, promote green
infrastructure, and reduce the vulnerability to flooding and drought. The approach for
integrating them into urban planning strategies requires collaboration among urban
planners, water managers, and other stakeholders to develop policies and best practices
that balance development with the preservation of natural resources.
Panel Discussion: Dr Victor R Shinde, Mr R S Nayak, Ms Shubha, Mr Pratik Korde and Mr Eklavya Prasad (Left to
Right)
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13. 1. Dr Victor R Shinde, National Institute of Urban Affairs
Dr Victor Shinde (NIUA) spoke about processes for creating an enabling environment for
mainstreaming shallow aquifer management in a city’s water management strategy, and
detailed the interventions carried out for shallow aquifer management in ten AMRUT cities,
on a pilot basis. He also touched upon the Urban River Management Plan Framework
(URMP), released on 4th Nov 2020, with emphasis on environment, economics, and social
aspects, and the creation of the River Cities Alliance (RCA) wherein cities can discuss and
exchange information on the management of urban rivers.
2. Mr Eklavya Prasad, Megh Pyne Abhiyan
Mr Ekalvya Prasad (Megh Pyne Abhiyan) narrated his beginnings in water management,
starting from catching rain on his rooftop, named ‘Uttarayan’, which became a model to
address urban water scarcity. He shared the disparities in rainfall distribution for Dhanbad
at a large scale and the challenges in sensitising people about groundwater and RWH. He
outlined the motivation for having a creative space set up to sensitise users and bring in
community engagement. He also spoke about his engagement with school students who
formed an all-girls volunteer group called “Gangs of 20 Water Leaders” to spread awareness
about the importance of saving water.
3. Mr Pratik Korde, ACWADAM, Pune
Mr Pratik Korde shared his experiences of working with ACWADAM on mapping urban
water infrastructure (including wells, borewells, drainages, rivers and springs) within Pune,
by working with student interns over a period of a year, for survey and documentation. The
systematic work carried out included interactions with the water supply and planning
departments of Pune Municipal Corporation, people’s representatives, members of housing
societies, the industry etc, to create representative data for each ward. He shared the layers
of the shallow aquifer maps created as an outcome of the information captured while on the
field visits. The detailed aquifer map of the PMC region was created by combining data
points of 1316 bore wells, 264 dug wells and 32 handpumps.
4. Mr R S Nayak, City Engineer (Retd), Belagavi City Corporation
Mr R S Nayak shared his experience of 20 years in Belagavi city as the in-charge of water
supply and management wherein the community was involved in mapping and reviving
public open wells, with the installation of decentralised treatment plants for domestic use.
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14. He shared data regarding the cost of shallow aquifer vs tanker water, the collaboration
between the municipality and citizens, transparency in funding/usage, and finally the wells’
heritage value for the city.
Dr Kaustubh Rau (Azim Premji University) spoke about his work on documenting the
400+ tanks of Anekal Taluk of Bengaluru Urban and creating a dashboard for each water
body to be made available on a website (www.tanksofanekal.in). He spoke of the need for
monitoring the water bodies regularly, in collaboration with gram panchayats, lake activist
groups, etc, for conducting water quality tests twice a year. He spoke about the need for
creating a standard protocol and highlighting the best practices around tank management.
Open House Discussion
● The importance of rejuvenating wells and integrating them into municipal supplies,
with attached treatment plants, thereby minimising the demand on centralised
infrastructure was discussed. The need for creating recharge structures to recharge
groundwater and management of extraction was highlighted.
● Furthermore, the need to understand the storativity, transmissivity and yield of
aquifers, and differentiating between high and low-yielding wells was emphasised.
● There is a need for periodically monitoring the water quality and sources of
contamination
● Need for decentralised rainfall monitoring systems in villages to better understand
rainfall patterns.
● The water flow system, and the interconnectedness between surface water flow and
groundwater were detailed.
● The detailed requirements, including the type of instruments used, HR resources
and timelines for participatory well-mapping surveys were discussed.
Panel 2 - Used water and its management: Urban and peri-urban
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) (SBM-U) focussed mainly on the construction of toilets for
each household and in community/public areas and achieving 100% Open Defecation Free
(ODF) status. As the gap in toilets was filled, and to sustain the ODF status, MoHUA
introduced the ODF+ and ODF++ protocols, and some focus was given to faecal sludge
management, as it was one of the major concerns after toilets were made. Focus has shifted
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15. to the safe containment, evacuation, transportation, and processing of both faecal sludge
and wastewater. There was a terminology shift from wastewater to used water, focusing on
the maximum reuse of treated used water, before discharge into water bodies.
Panel discussion: Dr Kavita Verma, Ms Jyothsna Devi, Dr Mahreen Matto, Dr Varsha Shridhar and Mr Avinash
Krishnamurthy (Left to Right)
1. Ms Jyothsna Devi, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI)
Ms Jyothsna Devi shared her experiences of decentralised faecal sludge management in
Hyderabad, where regulatory frameworks have been put in place and vendors who empty
septic tanks and transport the faecal sludge to treatment facilities that have been
empanelled. Furthermore, she spoke of the move towards the setting up of decentralised
FSTPs as a key solution to safe management.
2. Dr Mahreen Matto, National Institute of Urban Affairs
Dr Mahreen Matto presented her experiences with used water and faecal sludge
management in Vikasnagar, Uttarakhand, wherein no STP exists. The sewage generated is
treated in an oxidation pond and is supplied for fertigation purposes to neighbouring
farmland, as an interim step towards safe disposal of sewage. She also spoke of the need for
introducing the SSP manual developed by WHO, at various steps of processing of
wastewater/faecal sludge in towns/cities, to address the infrastructure gap, and to mitigate
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16. the risks of the various approaches suggested by the other panellists for FS/WW
management.
3. Dr Varsha Shridhar, Molecular Solutions Care Health LLP
Dr Varsha shared the dashboard of the wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 and spoke
about the various parameters of used water surveillance from COVID-19 monitoring to
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) mapping across the city, and the need for coalitions with
various organisations for environmental surveillance. Specifically, she spoke of the need for
testing wastewater to provide an integrated view of the AMR patterns from human and
non-human sources, and to address the health of communities not by testing each person
or aggregating the health statistics of individuals of that community, but by looking at it
from a one-health perspective.
4. Dr Kavita Verma and Dr Manjari Manisha, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Dr Kavita and Dr Manjari spoke about the unique project that the Govt. of Karnataka has
implemented to replenish groundwater by pumping secondary treated wastewater (STW)
into existing irrigation tanks in severely drought-hit areas of Kolar district in Karnataka.
They described the socio-economic impacts of this large-scale indirect groundwater
recharge, which shows significant improvements in groundwater level, water quality, an
increase in fisheries, and a shift in agricultural cropping areas, seasons, patterns, and
production. Furthermore, the project highlights a circular economy transition in the water
sector, which has economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits.
Open House Discussion
● While resource recovery and public health are receiving attention, the challenges of
livelihoods and informal sectors of WASH need to be addressed.
● Market response to gaps in municipal service provision, as small informal
enterprises – water tankers, “honey suckers” or vacuum trucks that evacuate onsite
sanitation systems and farmers using faecal sludge as fertiliser - not only fulfil
service provision needs, but also achieve resource recovery and reuse.
● The Sanitation Safety Planning methodology was discussed as a tool to plan and
improve sanitation systems incrementally by recognizing where the maximum
health and environmental risks are in the existing systems and prioritising
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17. interventions and investments to create adequate risk barriers, thus protecting
public health and the environment.
● The need for interim solutions and a service-chain approach before the major
investments in drainage systems, FSTPs, and STPs, and building a framework of
incremental upgradation within ULBs was discussed, such that equity is brought in
at the policy level and with technical interventions so that everyone is benefitted.
● Furthermore, the potential of looking at aquifers as sources and sinks and the need
to explore the relationships between groundwater, wastewater, and sanitation were
discussed.
● The trade-off and catalysing between microbiological load and chemical load in
groundwater, and its implications in pollution, water security, public health, and the
wastewater engineering sector were discussed.
Panel 3 - City & the monsoon experience: building resilience
India is a country blessed with a diverse climate, and the monsoon season is an integral
part of its weather patterns. Monsoons bring torrential rains, offering relief from the
sweltering heat and replenishing water sources across the nation. However, most
metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi etc, face challenges due to rapid
urbanisation, inadequate infrastructure, and unplanned development, which has
exacerbated the problems of flooding, waterlogging, and water-borne diseases. Climate
change has intensified these issues, leading to unpredictable and extreme weather events.
Building resilience to these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that addresses
both the environmental and infrastructural aspects of the problem. This involves investing
in sustainable urban planning, implementing effective stormwater management systems,
and preserving natural resources such as lakes, wetlands, and green spaces.
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18. Panel discussion: Mr Sahil Kanekar, Dr Jos C Raphael, Mr Amarnath Karan, Dr Anant Maringanti and Mr
Ganapathy (Left to Right)
Dr Jos C Raphael, Mazhapolima - District Rainwater Harvesting Mission
Dr Jos C Raphael shared his 22 years of experience in rainwater harvesting. He spoke about
his work in parts of the Thrissur district of Kerala categorised as a groundwater exploited
zone. He also shared his experience on pre- and post-recharge of open wells using
rainwater harvesting systems in coastal Kerala, where there is a high degree of seawater
intrusion and high iron content in the water. He talked about the wells in each house's
backyard that are used to hold excess rainwater, thereby building flood resilience for the
towns.
Mr Sahil Kanekar, World Resources Institute
Mr Sahil Kanekar, a senior program associate from WRI, shared his experience working on
the Mumbai Climate Action Plan in collaboration with the Mumbai Municipal Corporation,
to execute the priority actions recommended during the research. He also spoke of specific
issues related to Mumbai, such as inadequate drainage capacity, drainage outlet levels being
lower than the high tide zone levels, etc., causing severe waterlogging in several areas. He
also highlighted the increased frequency of cyclones and heavy rainfall events experienced
in the region, and the interventions undertaken, such as flood zoning, catchment
management, water pumping from low-lying areas, and usage of holding tanks for buffer
time, to create a higher resilience for mitigating disasters.
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19. Dr Anant Maringanti, Hyderabad Urban Lab
Dr Anant Mariganti shared a major flooding story from Hyderabad, from the year 1908. He
spoke about the city’s drainage design and engineering, which continues to remain the
same even in 2023. He also spoke about the cascading lakes/tanks system in Hyderabad
that were present earlier, and highlighted the encroachment issues and politics
surrounding these lakes. He also talked about the importance of regulations and laws
related to land around the lakes and using these water bodies to make the city more
flood-resilient.
Mr Amarnath Karan, Center for Environment Education
Mr Amarnath spoke about the extreme weather events that are happening due to climate
change and other man-made disasters in India. He shared his work on the groundwater of
Pune in 2017, working with students to document and map dug wells, bore wells, and
water harvesting structures which helped engage with citizens and create awareness of the
importance of groundwater. He also spoke about his program called GLOBE, which involved
school students in monitoring rainfall, temperature, cloud types, etc.
Open House Discussion
● Important pointers from the panel discussion on dealing with urban flooding and
waterlogging issues were - a comprehensive approach combining sustainable urban
planning, effective infrastructure, community engagement, and the need for citizen
science.
● Key strategies include promoting responsible land use and construction practices to
reduce impervious surfaces and minimise flood risks.
● Preserve natural waterways, wetlands, and green spaces to enhance water
absorption and storage capacity. Implement advanced stormwater management
systems.
● Regularly maintain and upgrade drainage infrastructure to prevent blockages and
ensure efficient water flow.
● Develop detailed flood risk maps to identify vulnerable areas and implement zoning
regulations that restrict development in high-risk areas and encourage
flood-resilient design.
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20. ● Develop emergency response plans that outline roles and responsibilities for various
stakeholders during flood events. Provide adequate resources for recovery and
rebuilding efforts.
● Coordinate efforts across different sectors and levels of government, ensuring that
flood management plans are comprehensive and well-integrated into broader urban
development strategies.
Conclusion
Mr Nakul Heble of Wipro Foundation launched the new UrbanWaters website. He spoke
about the launching of a separate forum to showcase the work specific to each city. Dr
Himanshu Kulkarni spoke about the UWF, and the team brainstormed ideas around what
role this forum will play, what/how each can contribute to its richness, and how this can
feed into the institutional and governance space.
Each of the presenters and participants in the workshop came in with unique experiences,
talked about the praxis, and presented themes in various contexts. The forum was a space
for the team to reflect, enquire, question, and informally discuss the challenges and
opportunities that they experienced in the field.
Finally, there was a conversation about the why, how, and what the UWF looks like for each
of the participants and how each one of us can potentially contribute to the same. The team
contributed to the microcosm of intensive work and a great divergence from business as
usual. The forum helped break down complex problems into simplified terms, with a
careful balance between understanding the expectations of the solutions.
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21. Concluding thoughts on the workshop
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