Nationally ranked second in water management, B'luru grapples with scarcity

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is facing significant water challenges despite achieving the distinction of being ranked second in the country for its management of used water.

This revelation stems from a survey conducted by the Council on Energy, Water, and Environment, encompassing 500 cities across 10 states.

The survey, focusing on used water management, utilised data from the latest national sewage inventory released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2021.

The findings unveiled Surat as the leading city nationwide in this aspect, with Bengaluru closely following in second place.

However, more than half of the surveyed cities, numbering 503, scored inadequately, falling between 0.75 and 1.5 out of 5, indicating deficiencies in water management.

The report emphasises the necessity for a more comprehensive approach, highlighting that the top two states, Haryana and Karnataka, scored 1.94 and 1.74, respectively.

Only Surat and Bengaluru attained the highest category, with nine of the top 20 cities hailing from Haryana. Gujarat and Karnataka emerge as top-performing states, with four and three cities, respectively, making it to the list.

Notably, both Karnataka and Haryana have implemented extensive action plans for the treatment and reuse of used water, as observed in the study.