BENGALURU: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had recommended that apartments, industries, hotels, theatres, and commercial complexes must install aerators on to their taps, to reduce water wastage. The deadline to install aerators has been extended from March 31 to April 7. BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said that the decision came after requests from the public.
Experts laud the board’s measure, and list out possible long term measures. Appreciating BWSSB’s efforts to reduce water wastage, Shashwata Neeravari Horata Samiti activist Anjaneya Reddy said that the idea is good, but it should have been implemented at least five years ago. “Measures like fixing aerators or water flow controllers is a good idea. But in the long run, we need to establish a well-networked treatment plant to treat sewage water, and to fill all water bodies in the city. BWSSB sends semi-treated water to tanks of Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural,” said Reddy.
Echoing similar sentiments, director of water institute, UVCE Bengaluru University, Prof M Inayatullah said, the aerators are just a stop gap arrangement. “For now, this arrangement may fit, but we need to manage water bodies in the long run. Surface water like lakes are not maintained, they are polluted. Storm Water Drains (SWD) should be clean and carry only treated water into the lakes for groundwater recharge. Our water bodies are perennial, which is why we have floods. The civic agencies should regularly desilt them, and allow treated water to fill the water bodies. If this is achieved, the dependency on Cauvery will also come down,” said Inayatullah.