Only 1 in 5 Bengaluru homes adopt rainwater harvesting

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) believes that if everyone in Bengaluru had opted for rainwater harvesting (RWH), the water situation in the city wouldn't be as dire as it is now, with only about 0.2 million out of 1.08 million homes having installed RWH systems. BWSSB has imposed penalties totalling nearly Rs 20 million on 40,000 households for not installing RWH systems, hoping that might encourage people to embrace the sustainable solution. The West zone, encompassing areas like Nagarbhavi, RPC Layout, Vijayanagar, and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, tops the list with 12,796 non-compliant homes, facing penalties of up to Rs 5.1 million. The East zone follows closely with 11,475 violations, but higher penalties totalling Rs 5.9 have been imposed. According to Suresh B, the engineer-in-chief of BWSSB, RWH has been mandatory for houses built on plots larger than 60x40ft since December 2011. In 2020, it was also made mandatory for houses on plots measuring 30x40ft, with penalties for violations. For domestic connections, BWSSB imposes a 50% penalty on water consumption bills for the first three months and 100% thereafter. For commercial connections, the penalty is 100% for three months and 200% afterwards. Arun Bala Rao, residing in Jayanagar, mentioned that his house has benefited from RWH, leading to reduced water shortage. Sheela Nagarajun from Rajarajeshwari Nagar also stated that they use harvested rainwater for various household purposes. However, despite the benefits, many residents consider RWH as an expense rather than a long-term investment. This perception contributes to lower adoption rates, particularly among households with smaller dimensions facing acute water shortages.