Sponge City concept includes green infrastructure and permeable surfaces to absorb and store rainwater instead of letting it flow away. The need for policy-driven measures to upgrade Bengaluru into a Sponge City is not just an environmental necessity but a strategic investment in water security, energy savings and climate resilience.
Context & Problem:
Bengaluru receives almost 1000 mm of rainfall annually, amounting to about 2000 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of water.
But we depend heavily on Cauvery water pumped from 100 km away and 1000 feet uphill, consuming enormous energy and resources.
While the city faces water shortages and flooding, rainwater is currently lost as polluted runoff, flowing downstream, contaminating lakes.
BWSSB pumps about 1500 MLD and almost one-third of this is lost to leakages (UFW – Unaccounted for Water).
About 30% of Bengaluru’s water supply still comes from unsustainable and deep borewells, while over 40% of the city’s borewells have already dried up.
The severe, chronic water crisis is driven by over-extraction of groundwater, erratic monsoons, rapid, unsustainable urbanization, and growing demand.
Why Sponge City?
Over 2 Crore people living in and around Bengaluru can draw multiple policy-driven benefits:
Capture & Recharge: Sponge city infrastructure (permeable pavements, rain gardens, wetlands, restored lakes, soak pits and so on) can retain rain water locally, recharge aquifers and raise the groundwater table.
Flood Mitigation: Sponge systems reduce flooding, which results in traffic disruption, massive loss of man-hours and even deaths.
Water Security: Harvesting even 30–40% of rainfall (600–800 MLD) will help complement, and reduce dependence on Cauvery supply.
Climate Resilience: Greenery and wetlands improve biodiversity, reduce heat island effects and enhance urban livability.
We earnestly appeal to the Government of Karnataka to:
Firmly declare intent to upgrade Bengaluru as a “Sponge City” under urban policy.
Mandate permeable infrastructure in all new road, transport, buildings and Storm water drain projects.
Restore and protect lakes, wetlands, and Raja Kaluves.
Integrate rainwater harvesting into BWSSB’s supply planning.
Allocate dedicated budget and encourage CSR partnerships for sponge city projects.
Give directions for comprehensive survey of GBA area by Experts, to come out with guidelines, on high priority.
Establish Bengaluru Sponge City Task Force which includes top officials from various stakeholders to coordinate, collaborate and implement Sponge City on war-footing.
Extend Sponge City concept to all major towns and finally across the State.
Total live water storage in all 4 major Dams across River Cauvery is currently around 40% of their total capacity. With 2026 monsoons almost over, next major rains in the catchment area are expected only in June 2027. Climate Change is real and present danger. Unless corrective steps are initiated now, the future is not only bleak, but also ominous, because we cannot live without water even for a single day.
Rajkumar Dugar,
Founder, CITIZENS FOR CITIZENS (C4C)
Context & Problem:
Bengaluru receives almost 1000 mm of rainfall annually, amounting to about 2000 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of water.
But we depend heavily on Cauvery water pumped from 100 km away and 1000 feet uphill, consuming enormous energy and resources.
While the city faces water shortages and flooding, rainwater is currently lost as polluted runoff, flowing downstream, contaminating lakes.
BWSSB pumps about 1500 MLD and almost one-third of this is lost to leakages (UFW – Unaccounted for Water).
About 30% of Bengaluru’s water supply still comes from unsustainable and deep borewells, while over 40% of the city’s borewells have already dried up.
The severe, chronic water crisis is driven by over-extraction of groundwater, erratic monsoons, rapid, unsustainable urbanization, and growing demand.
Why Sponge City?
Over 2 Crore people living in and around Bengaluru can draw multiple policy-driven benefits:
Capture & Recharge: Sponge city infrastructure (permeable pavements, rain gardens, wetlands, restored lakes, soak pits and so on) can retain rain water locally, recharge aquifers and raise the groundwater table.
Flood Mitigation: Sponge systems reduce flooding, which results in traffic disruption, massive loss of man-hours and even deaths.
Water Security: Harvesting even 30–40% of rainfall (600–800 MLD) will help complement, and reduce dependence on Cauvery supply.
Climate Resilience: Greenery and wetlands improve biodiversity, reduce heat island effects and enhance urban livability.
We earnestly appeal to the Government of Karnataka to:
Firmly declare intent to upgrade Bengaluru as a “Sponge City” under urban policy.
Mandate permeable infrastructure in all new road, transport, buildings and Storm water drain projects.
Restore and protect lakes, wetlands, and Raja Kaluves.
Integrate rainwater harvesting into BWSSB’s supply planning.
Allocate dedicated budget and encourage CSR partnerships for sponge city projects.
Give directions for comprehensive survey of GBA area by Experts, to come out with guidelines, on high priority.
Establish Bengaluru Sponge City Task Force which includes top officials from various stakeholders to coordinate, collaborate and implement Sponge City on war-footing.
Extend Sponge City concept to all major towns and finally across the State.
Total live water storage in all 4 major Dams across River Cauvery is currently around 40% of their total capacity. With 2026 monsoons almost over, next major rains in the catchment area are expected only in June 2027. Climate Change is real and present danger. Unless corrective steps are initiated now, the future is not only bleak, but also ominous, because we cannot live without water even for a single day.
Rajkumar Dugar,
Founder, CITIZENS FOR CITIZENS (C4C)
