<p>The floods caused by torrential rain that began on the night of Sunday, May 19, in Bengaluru once again show how decades of mismanagement of lakes and water bodies are driving both urban flooding and drinking water shortages in the city. What lessons can city administrations across India draw from this?</p>.<p>The city administration and civil society organisations have provided much-needed relief by distributing cooked food to affected households. In the days ahead, the affected families will need support to rebuild their homes. Over the long term, informal workers need to be supported in securing rights and entitlements, including housing and access to public services. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed solidarity with the affected and pointed to the deeper roots of the crisis. In a tweet on the morning of May 20, he wrote: “Let us be clear: the issues we face today are not new. They have been ignored for years, across governments and administrations.”</p>.<p>Bengaluru, once celebrated as the City of Lakes, now faces twin crises—acute water scarcity and recurring floods. The overexploitation of the Cauvery River, which provides 70% of the city’s supply, and groundwater, which is depleting at the rate of 10-12 feet per year, has created a daily water deficit of 500 million litres. At the same time, the destruction of lakes--only 200 remain from over 1,000 in 1960 – combined with rampant concretisation and clogged drains, has turned rains into floods, as seen in 2022, 2023, and again on May 19, 2025. This paradox exposes the failure of rainwater harvesting (RWH), lake conservation, and urban planning—making Bengaluru a cautionary tale for water-stressed cities worldwide.</p>.<p>Residents remain acutely vulnerable due to systemic failures in urban water management. Despite the 2021 RWH mandate, compliance languishes at 30–40%, causing the city to waste 970 mm of annual rainfall—enough to meet 40% of its water needs. Had decentralised RWH been enforced effectively, it could have reduced reliance on the Cauvery and borewells while also reducing flood risks.</p>.<p>The destruction of Bengaluru’s interconnected lake system has deepened these crises. Once natural sponges that absorbed rain and recharged groundwater, 90% of the city’s lakes are now encroached upon or polluted, disrupting drainage patterns and worsening floods. The historic valley system that once channelled water through cascading lakes lies in ruins, a casualty of unchecked urbanisation.</p>.<p>Efforts to revive lakes have largely been top-down and ecologically unsound. Many CSR-funded projects focussed on concretisation rather than conservation, creating “soup bowl lakes” that fail to function as living ecosystems. While courts have intervened—mandating community consultation and banning commercialisation—local stakeholders (fisherfolk, farmers, residents) remain excluded, deepening inequities.</p>.<p>Healthy waterbodies need shallow, natural edges with wetlands and native plants to support recharge, biodiversity, and pollution filtering. Connected to their watersheds, they function as vibrant ecosystems that sustain aquatic life and livelihoods while absorbing floods. In contrast to sterile concrete containers, lakes like Jakkur Lake demonstrate what works: a blend of sewage treatment, wetland filtration, and community stewardship that supports both recharge and biodiversity.</p>.<p>The May 19 rain in Bengaluru may well have broken records. BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao was quoted as saying, “The infrastructure isn’t designed for this [kind of rain].” With climate change intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, city administrators must plan better. This means critically re-examining how past infrastructure worked, involving communities in solutions, and investing in nature-based approaches. Without urgent and inclusive action, Bengaluru’s residents—especially the poor—will continue to bear the brunt: water rationing, exorbitant tanker prices, and flood-disrupted lives. The city’s survival depends on restoring its ecological commons—not as cosmetic projects, but as vital, functioning lifelines.</p>.<p>Rain, once a blessing, now floods Indian cities due to poor planning. Bengaluru is not alone. Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi also face repeated deluges as wetlands vanish, drains overflow, and vulnerable communities drown. Climate change is intensifying these events, turning preventable risks into recurring disasters of displacement, disease, and destruction. India still relies on ancient climatic rhythms—but its cities need modern systems that transform rainfall into resilience. That journey begins with safeguarding urban ecological commons and recognising the crucial role of local communities—fisherfolk, farmers, and pastoralists—as stewards. Only then can lakes, forests, and grasslands serve as the lungs, kidneys, and shock absorbers of climate-vulnerable cities.</p>.<p><em>(The writers work with ActionAid Association)</em></p>
<p>The floods caused by torrential rain that began on the night of Sunday, May 19, in Bengaluru once again show how decades of mismanagement of lakes and water bodies are driving both urban flooding and drinking water shortages in the city. What lessons can city administrations across India draw from this?</p>.<p>The city administration and civil society organisations have provided much-needed relief by distributing cooked food to affected households. In the days ahead, the affected families will need support to rebuild their homes. Over the long term, informal workers need to be supported in securing rights and entitlements, including housing and access to public services. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed solidarity with the affected and pointed to the deeper roots of the crisis. In a tweet on the morning of May 20, he wrote: “Let us be clear: the issues we face today are not new. They have been ignored for years, across governments and administrations.”</p>.<p>Bengaluru, once celebrated as the City of Lakes, now faces twin crises—acute water scarcity and recurring floods. The overexploitation of the Cauvery River, which provides 70% of the city’s supply, and groundwater, which is depleting at the rate of 10-12 feet per year, has created a daily water deficit of 500 million litres. At the same time, the destruction of lakes--only 200 remain from over 1,000 in 1960 – combined with rampant concretisation and clogged drains, has turned rains into floods, as seen in 2022, 2023, and again on May 19, 2025. This paradox exposes the failure of rainwater harvesting (RWH), lake conservation, and urban planning—making Bengaluru a cautionary tale for water-stressed cities worldwide.</p>.<p>Residents remain acutely vulnerable due to systemic failures in urban water management. Despite the 2021 RWH mandate, compliance languishes at 30–40%, causing the city to waste 970 mm of annual rainfall—enough to meet 40% of its water needs. Had decentralised RWH been enforced effectively, it could have reduced reliance on the Cauvery and borewells while also reducing flood risks.</p>.<p>The destruction of Bengaluru’s interconnected lake system has deepened these crises. Once natural sponges that absorbed rain and recharged groundwater, 90% of the city’s lakes are now encroached upon or polluted, disrupting drainage patterns and worsening floods. The historic valley system that once channelled water through cascading lakes lies in ruins, a casualty of unchecked urbanisation.</p>.<p>Efforts to revive lakes have largely been top-down and ecologically unsound. Many CSR-funded projects focussed on concretisation rather than conservation, creating “soup bowl lakes” that fail to function as living ecosystems. While courts have intervened—mandating community consultation and banning commercialisation—local stakeholders (fisherfolk, farmers, residents) remain excluded, deepening inequities.</p>.<p>Healthy waterbodies need shallow, natural edges with wetlands and native plants to support recharge, biodiversity, and pollution filtering. Connected to their watersheds, they function as vibrant ecosystems that sustain aquatic life and livelihoods while absorbing floods. In contrast to sterile concrete containers, lakes like Jakkur Lake demonstrate what works: a blend of sewage treatment, wetland filtration, and community stewardship that supports both recharge and biodiversity.</p>.<p>The May 19 rain in Bengaluru may well have broken records. BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao was quoted as saying, “The infrastructure isn’t designed for this [kind of rain].” With climate change intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, city administrators must plan better. This means critically re-examining how past infrastructure worked, involving communities in solutions, and investing in nature-based approaches. Without urgent and inclusive action, Bengaluru’s residents—especially the poor—will continue to bear the brunt: water rationing, exorbitant tanker prices, and flood-disrupted lives. The city’s survival depends on restoring its ecological commons—not as cosmetic projects, but as vital, functioning lifelines.</p>.<p>Rain, once a blessing, now floods Indian cities due to poor planning. Bengaluru is not alone. Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi also face repeated deluges as wetlands vanish, drains overflow, and vulnerable communities drown. Climate change is intensifying these events, turning preventable risks into recurring disasters of displacement, disease, and destruction. India still relies on ancient climatic rhythms—but its cities need modern systems that transform rainfall into resilience. That journey begins with safeguarding urban ecological commons and recognising the crucial role of local communities—fisherfolk, farmers, and pastoralists—as stewards. Only then can lakes, forests, and grasslands serve as the lungs, kidneys, and shock absorbers of climate-vulnerable cities.</p>.<p><em>(The writers work with ActionAid Association)</em></p>
