Bengaluru civic body to construct 250 rainwater harvesting pits in parks for ₹2.5 crore to boost groundwater: Report

In response to the severe water scarcity experienced across Bengaluru this summer, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is the city's civic administrative agency, has taken proactive steps by approving the construction of 250 percolation pits and the recharge of numerous borewells within city parks, The Times of India reported. This initiative, sanctioned at a cost of ₹2.5 crore, aims to mitigate water shortages and enhance groundwater levels.

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The BBMP's Deputy Director of Horticulture, Chandrashekhar MR, spoke to reporters and confirmed that the department's proposal to tender the construction of percolation pits has received administrative clearance. The project will encompass two primary rainwater harvesting systems: the installation of percolation pits and the adoption of borewell-recharge techniques.

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Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Chandrashekhar told the publication that effective rainwater harvesting will bolster groundwater reserves, ensuring adequate moisture for the deep-rooted trees within BBMP parks. Borewell recharge systems, strategically placed within these green spaces, will further contribute to the revitalization of groundwater sources, the report added.

“Rainwater harvesting will push up the groundwater table and enable the deep roots of trees to get sufficient water from these structures. We prefer to recharge borewells situated in the parks to rejuvenate them,” he said, as quoted in the report.

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The decision comes amidst Bengaluru's ongoing water crisis, which saw critical shortages in March and April when rainfall was meagre. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah previously acknowledged the city's deficit of 500 million litres per day (MLD) of potable water, underscoring the urgency of sustainable water management measures like those proposed by BBMP.