Growth model must change to conserve water: War veteran

Efforts to conserve water require a radical change in the idea of economic growth itself, which is presently driven by the growth of industries that consume large amounts of water, war veteran Sudhir Vombatkere said.

At a panel discussion on ‘Water Woes of Bengaluru’, he noted that today’s product would be tomorrow’s junk and stressed the need for a sustainable economic growth model to ensure water security for future generations.

“Children and adults alike need to be educated about water conservation. More importantly, the need to know that the river itself is not the source of water but the Western Ghats,” he noted.

To a question, retired BWSSB chief engineer M N Thippeswamy agreed that the tariffs of BWSSB were low and need to be revised periodically. He said several departments were involved in the water supply but they all work in silos. “An integrated approach is needed to address multiple issues facing the departments,” he added.

CREDAI Chairman Suresh Hari said builders had started including measures like rainwater harvesting in their projects, but acknowledged the need to adopt efficient sewage treatment and waste recycling measures.

Director of river rejuvenation projects at Art of Living, Yale Lingaraju, said the state government made a big mistake by encouraging people to drill borewells in the early 1970s.

Chandrasekaran Hariharan urged plumbers and builders to work with the government on policies. Meera K of Citizen Matters said RWH can be retrofitted to old apartments was possible if owners were willing.