OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT OF WATER IN BANGALORE

Bangalore, a city of lakes, flourished during the ۲۰th century due to a salubrious microclimate. Unplanned urbanization has led to haphazard growth during the past two decades, altering the local ecology, hydrologic regime, and environment. This is evident in Bangalore with severe scarcity of water, frequent flooding, enhanced pollution levels, uncongenial buildings, mismanagement of solid and liquid wastes, etc. Increased and unprecedented population growth has resulted in enormous stress on potable water. Unplanned growth has led to the radical land-use conversion of green spaces, surface water bodies, etc., with the irretrievable loss of land resources. Land use analyses show ۱۰۵۵ percent growth in the built-up area during the last four decades, with vegetation decline by ۸۸ percent and water bodies by ۷۹ percent. Sewage generated in urbanhouseholds is either untreated or partially treated, which is finally let into water bodies through trunk sewers and stormwater networks. Although sustained inflow of sewage into water bodies has maintained the water levels in the system of interconnected lakes, it has also contributed to the contamination of surface and groundwater sources. The feasibility of the bioremediation path is implemented at Jakkur lake to treat wastewater for reuse and mitigate the water crisis in the city. Innovative wastewater treatment design includes an integrated wetlands system consisting of a sewage treatment plant, constructed wetlands (with location-specific macrophytes), and an algalpond. Integration of the conventional treatment system with the constructed wetlands (of native species) helped remove nutrients cost-effectively.