Author(s)

U. Rajeshuni, P. Dongare, V. A. Sheriff

Abstract

Several researchers have predicted that more than half the global population will be living in urban areas by 2030. This puts an unimaginable demand for water in the population dense urban agglomerations globally. It also creates the need and opportunity for a water- sensitive approach to urban planning and urban design. The population of Bangalore, the IT capital of India, has grown manifold in recent times as result of the impact of the IT industry and with this has grown the demand for water. Bangalore is also known as city of lakes but recently number of these lakes has been diminishing due to indiscriminate urbanization. In 1960, the number of lakes was 262 and currently it has been declined to 81.This crisis in diminishing lakes has affected the conservation of rainwater in the urban area and hence the need for the harvesting of rainwater in the urbanized area. The paper explores design solutions for the conservation of rainwater in the Bangalore Metropolitan Area which are simple enough to be applied by the stakeholders and urban bodies in other metropolitan areas too.

Keywords

urban area, conservation, percolation, Bangalore, rainwater, redesign, perspective, ecology, bye-laws, sustainability