ONE BILLION DROPS

Bengaluru is one of the districts with groundwater crisis, as per the Central Groundwater Board. In addition, uneven distribution of rainfall, the rainwater let to run off, leads to depletion of groundwater.

The One Billion Drops is a program to enhance the depleting groundwater levels in and around Bengaluru by conserving rainwater. The project intervention involves an integrated approach where social, technical and environmental aspects are blended during the intervention phase.

Percolation pits,12 feet deep x 4 ft wider, serve as recharge wells, and each of them can hold 1,28,100 ltrs of rainwater in a given year. The Central Groundwater Board also indicates the presence of fluoride beyond the permissible limit in the city’s groundwater, which poses health problems. The percolation pits help to capture and percolate the rainwater in the purest form and improve the groundwater quality.

Objectives:

• Conservation of rainwater that is largely run off, wasted, evaporated and lost across the city’s terrain
• Enhancement of groundwater table through percolation methodology
• Contribution towards water security to ensure sustainable cities and communities

Proposed Impact:

• Sustained groundwater table
• Water conservation, both in quantity and quality
• Water security leading to sustainable city
• Awareness and public sensitization
• Conservation of 1 billion litres of rainwater
• Flood mitigation and erosion control
• Eco-climate increased vegetation and good oxygen supply for the city