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Bengaluru Water Stress Index (WSI) – Aiblix Studio

Registry ID: AQ-BEN-BEN-9137
Last Audited: 31 December 2025
Export Audit PDF | Machine Readable

Bengaluru Water Stress Index Overview

The Bengaluru Water Stress Index (WSI) provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of urban water stress using a 5-pillar institutional engine. The index is designed to measure observable stress in water supply, demand, reliability, infrastructure, and resilience, delivering actionable intelligence for planners, municipal authorities, and private stakeholders.

  • Green Alert Level: 25 (+12.4% vs previous cycle)

  • Confidence Level: Low

  • Time-to-Failure (TTF): 28 years

  • Risk Consequence: Manageable stress requiring structural intervention

The WSI enables stakeholders to understand systemic water stress patterns, escalation paths, and mitigation strategies, making urban water planning more precise and institutionally defensible.

WSI Temporal Trend (2020–2024)

The WSI trend shows progressive stress accumulation in Bengaluru's water systems over the last five years. Despite minor seasonal relief, structural supply-demand deficits persist, highlighting the urgency for institutional interventions.

5-Pillar Institutional Analysis

Bengaluru's water stress is measured across five pillars:

  1. Supply: Total municipal water from Kaveri River and groundwater.

  2. Demand: Urban population growth and commercial consumption patterns.

  3. Reliability: System resilience under peak demand and drought scenarios.

  4. Infrastructure: Non-revenue water losses, leakage rates, and operational efficiency.

  5. Resilience: Groundwater sustainability and adaptive capacity.

Executive Summary – AI Audit Insights

Bengaluru faces a severe urban water crisis. The city requires over 2,600 MLD of water daily, but municipal supply from the Kaveri River provides only ~1,450 MLD, leaving the remainder dependent on depleting groundwater resources. The 2024 drought worsened shortages, prompting emergency water pricing regulations and mandatory usage restrictions.

This systemic deficit underscores the importance of institutional monitoring, infrastructure upgrades, and sustainable resource management.

Priority Risk Factors

FactorRisk LevelDescription

Source DependencyHighHeavy reliance on the Kaveri River, >100 km away, creates high energy costs and vulnerability to regional droughts.

Infrastructure InefficiencyHighNon-revenue water losses (35–40%) due to leakages and illegal connections.

Groundwater ExhaustionHigh50% of 14,000+ public borewells have run dry, especially in Whitefield and Mahadevapura.

Economic VolatilityMediumUnregulated tanker pricing spiked 300% before government intervention.

Groundwater Trends

  • Depletion Levels: Borewells drilled to 1,200–1,500 ft in hard-rock aquifers.

  • CGWB Status: Bengaluru classified as 'Over-exploited'.

  • Seasonal Variation: Slight 0.5–1.2m rise due to rainfall, long-term trend downward.

  • Peripheral Vulnerability: Outer zones face projected decline of 20–25m/year without recharge measures.

Mitigation Strategies

  1. Kaveri Stage V Project: Additional 775 MLD for city outskirts and 110 villages.

  2. Mandatory Rainwater Harvesting: 250,000+ buildings equipped with recharge systems.

  3. IoT Groundwater Tracking: 4,000 public borewells monitored in real-time with IISc partnership.

  4. Wastewater Reuse: Treated secondary water used for lakes and non-potable industrial purposes.

  5. Demand Management: Strict prohibition of potable water for non-essential use; fines of INR 5,000 applied for violations.

Why This Score?

  • Top Contributors to Stress: Supply (28%), Demand (24%), Reliability (20%)

  • Fastest Escalation Path: Unregulated extraction surge + infrastructure decay (~10% growth/year)

  • Fastest Reduction Path: Mandatory surface water recharge + greywater treatment (~30% efficiency gain)

Decision Protocol

  • Protocol: PROCEED

  • Authority: INSTITUTIONAL v2.5.0

  • Implications: Normal development with institutional monitoring

  • Authentication: GCP-Authenticated Protocol Signal

Micro-Area Specific Indicators

IndicatorValueRegistry Status

Groundwater Depth410 ftOptimal

Borewell Count3.1k unitsOptimal

Pricing Signal+9% YoYOptimal

Infrastructure HealthStableOptimal

Grounding Sources

  • republicworld.com

  • newscanvassedu.com

  • vifindia.org

  • indiatimes.com

  • indiaspend.com

  • thehindu.com

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