BANGALORE: It was in 1896 that Bangalore first started to harness water from a river for its consumption. Dewan Seshadri Iyer constructed a check dam across the Arkavathy at Hesaraghatta to supply drinking water to the city.

In 1930, Sir M. Visvesvaraya built another dam at Thippagondanahalli across the same river to harness more water for the city. But as the city grew, the need for a water supply management was felt and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) was set up in 1964. In 1974, Bangalore received its first drop of water from the Cauvery, more than 100 km from the city. Thirty-two years and three more projects later, 810 million litres a day is drawn from the river to quench the city's thirst. To cater to the need of Greater Bangalore, the BWSSB has more areas to provide water. To this end, it has taken up another project to draw additional 100 million litres a day from Cauvery. There are fears that plans may have to be redrawn in the light of Cauvery Tribunal verdict. But the official analysis is yet to emerge.

BWSSB treats up to approximately 418 million litres of wastewater or sewage. That is, the wastewater that comes from sinks, showers, toilets, and backyard drains is almost equal to three stages of Cauvery projects.

The BWSSB provides about 100 litres per person a day as against the WHO mandate of 135 litres per person a day. BWSSB owns 20,000 borewells as against the 1 lakh owned by private players in the city. It spends Rs. 17 crore to Rs. 18 crore on energy, 65 per cent of its monthly revenue.

Water is drawn from river Cauvery at Shiva Anicut and diverted to Netkal Balancing Reservoir and transferred to treatment plant at Tore Kadanahalli, 95 km away on Kanakpura Road. From T.K. Halli, it is pumped to Harohalli, also on Kanakapura Road, and then to Tataguni and finally to the city.

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