Bengaluru: The Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) has urged the State Government to act faster in restoration of lakes in Bengaluru and address issues such as solid waste management, sewerage system and water supply, as they are interconnected.
IPA also plans to tie up with builders to initiate better water management practices. B.O. Prasanna Kumar, Chairman, Bengaluru Chapter, Indian Plumbing Association told reporters, “Most urban centres in India, including Bengaluru, are already water stressed. The current gap in supply and demand is approximately 600 MLD, and according to the projections of BWSSB, this will grow to 1,450 MLD in the next twelve years.
It is therefore vital that the State Government treats restoration of remaining 210 city lakes as top priority.”
The State Government is planning to spend around Rs 12,000 crore to bring water from Sharavati river to Bengaluru. The Government should reconsider this plan and use part of that money to develop a better sanitation system by laying an integrated underground drainage system. It will eventually sustain the water cycle in the lakes. It should also address solid waste management effectively. Poor management leads to pollution of surface and ground water.”
As for IPA’s water management plans for Bengaluru, he said that it is in talks with builders across the city to install automatic water metering systems in new apartments. “It can bring down water consumption by as much as 30%,” Prasanna said.
According to Krishna Prasad, Executive Committee Member, Bengaluru Chapter, IPA is also in talks with builders to make installation of aerators in apartments. Aerators are small attachments fixed inside the faucet used in washbasin and kitchen sinks. They help discharge less water without reducing pressure.
With 5.25 lakh apartments in the city, the use of aerators can save around 378MLD of water, he added.
