Bengaluru warning

India must address water shortages

Bengaluru is reeling from severe water stress. In fact, the situation is expected to worsen in the coming days, pushing up tanker cost and forcing the government to step in to regulate supply. The lack of rainfall in recent months has depleted groundwater to low levels and brought about drought-like conditions in the Cauvery basin. Alongside natural conditions, human interference, including rapid unplanned urbanisation, pollution and the destruction of lakes, and the loss of green canopy cover in the city have aggravated the problem in recent years. The proliferation of concrete structures leaves little space for rainwater to seep in