Like wealth, top 10 per cent corner water too: City expert

Bengaluru: The saga of disparaties in the country continues and not just where money is concerned. It appears that while  50 per cent of  consumers in the city get 90 litres of water per person (capita) per day (LPCD), 10 per cent get 225 LPCD! This when the standard norm for domestic water use in India is 135 litres per capita per day (lpcd), as laid down by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation. 

The huge disparity in  consumption of water in the city was highlighted at a discussion on the theme "Namma Neeru Namma Mannu" on Saturday  by  Dr Sharachchandra Lele, research scholar with ATREE.

As for the pollution of the Vrishabhavathy valley, Dr Lele's  team has found a spike in its heavy metal concentration between 2 am and 4 am. "The KSPCB does not find it because it measures the concentration in the morning. The farmers downstream and the consumers of baby corn suffer because of the higher concentration of heavy metals in the valley," Dr Lele warned.

Observing that Bengaluru had undergone a sea change over the past 40 years , lead scientist at the city's premier Indian Institute of Science, Dr TV Ramachandra said the city, which once had  maximum green cover , now has 70 per cent concrete. "Every 1 km of the concrete area requires Rs 8 crore and the mindless urbanisation is costing the environment. Even the natural Storm Water Drains are concretized, which is disastrous," he said. 

The event concluded with a discussion on the recent repeal of the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KLCDA) Act. It was organised by Citizens for Bengaluru, Bhoomi College, and Aiykam Community for Sustainable Living.