BENGALURU: With the temperature in the city crossing 33 degrees Celsius and hot and humid conditions prevailing, the primary concern remains watering and taking care of saplings and trees in the city’s 1,353-plus parks and 70 central medians. The Horticulture Department of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) does not have to worry much in taking care of plants and trees as treated water from four sewage treatment plants (STPs) at Nayandahalli, HSR Layout, Mahadevapura and Hebbal is meeting their needs.
MR Chandrashekhar, Deputy Director of Horticulture at GBA, said 2,000 rainwater harvesting pits dug over the last two years have also come in handy as they have helped in recharging groundwater.
Tankers with 6,000-litre capacity from all the five city corporations are pressed into service to fill treated water. Treated water from the Cubbon Park STP opposite Kanteerava Stadium too is collected. The agency tasked with maintaining plants in the five corporations has been told to water parks and central medians twice a day — in the morning and evening — till monsoon arrives and some good summer spells lash Bengaluru.
Water is also sourced from over 500 borewells inside parks and supplied to parks that don’t have borewells or other water sources.
Twenty parks are attached to lakes and they don’t face any water shortage. “Using treated water is the best solution as it contains nutritional content as well. This move will result in reducing dependency on potable water. For example, the horticulture department uses treated water from the STP to water 50% of the walking pathways at Jakkur Lake. Due to regular water supply, plants and trees are healthy, and the oxygen supply in the lake has increased,” said Annapurna Kamath, from Jalaposhan, an NGO.