BENGALURU, 15 MARCH

Bengaluru was known for its vibrant green spaces and clean waterbodies, but now the City is facing a never-before water crisis.

The Garden City of India used to have a green cover of around 70% in the 1970s, but it has now reduced to around 14% or 24,710 acres, with around 979 species of trees and 980 species of plants. While some of the flora are drought-tolerant, others require consistent water to survive.

“Many nurseries and parks in the City are struggling to maintain their plants due to limited access to water,” Ramesh DS, Director of Horticulture, Lalbagh, told Salar News. “These nurseries and their growing plants are essential for the environment of the City in the future,” he said.

Lalbagh Botanical Garden and Cubbon Park, often known as the ‘lungs’ of the City, are too bearing the brunt of the water shortage. The ban imposed by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on using drinking water for gardening has impacted their maintenance. Lalbagh gardens covers an area of around 240 acres (including the lake and mountain) and Cubbon Park covers an area of 198 acres.

“Both the green spaces require at least 1.5 million litres of water per day to maintain the greenery,” Kusuma G, Deputy Director of Horticulture (Lalbagh Gardens), told Salar News. “We depend on the treated water that we get from BWSSB’s Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and the borewells situated in the parks. We are resorting to drip irrigation and using recycled water whenever possible. With the water crisis rising, the STPs may also see a shortage of water. As of now, the water is enough to maintain these spaces, but nothing can be said about the future.”

The STPs in Lalbagh and Cubbon Park can generate 1.5 and 4.5 million litres per day, respectively. These treatment plants get the sewerage water from the surrounding public and residential areas. The water is then treated and used for maintaining the parks. “Since both the parks require only 1.5 MLD of water, these STPs are enough for us and we do not need the drinking water at all. The borewell water is mainly used by the nurseries that come under Horticulture Department,” Kusuma said.

The water crisis in the City stems from a combination of factors. Declining rainfall, coupled with an increasing population and unregulated groundwater extraction, has led to alarmingly low water tables. Urban horticulture plays a crucial role in regulating temperatures, providing fresh air, and promoting biodiversity. With limited water availability, these benefits are placed at risk.