Water In Tumakuru
Tumakuru is a city without a perennial source of water. It depends upon the hinterland for its needs. The lifeline of the city is the Hemavathi River that supplies most of Tumakuru’s potable water. The Gorur dam (a reservoir on this river – 170 kms away from Tumakuru) annually supplies 1.135 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) to the town, of which about 43 MLD (million litres per day) of water is supplied via natural and manmade channels to Tumakuru’s freshwater lakes. The Mydala Lake was a major source of water until 1996. The Bugudanahalli Lake followed by the Hebbaka Lake receive this water, which (along with all the other urban waterbodies) are being managed by the Tumakuru Municipal Corporation (TMC).
Hemavathi Water & Tumakuru
3,75,000
Population served
1 in 3 days
Frequency of supply
80 MLD
Capacity of WTP
1.135 TMC
Water allocated to Tumakuru
135 LPCD
Ideal water supply
107 LPCD
Water supplied currently
43 MLD
Daily water supply
25 MLD
Capacity of STP
Hemavathi water supplied annually since 2010
Quantity drawn annually (in thousand million cubic feet)
- Hemavathi Canal Zone manages the distribution of water.
- 10 TMC of Hemavathi water has been used until 2020.
- 192 Mcft of water is allotted for industrial use out of the total 1.135 TMC of water annually supplied.
- The cost of Hemavathi water has reduced from Rs. 2100 per Mcft since 1996 to Rs. 375 per Mcft in 2000.
- The Mydala Lake was a major source of water until 1996.
Lakes in Tumakuru
370
Lakes in Tumakuru district
48
Lakes in Tumakuru city
1.521 TMC
Overall capacity of city’s lakes
1.175 TMC
Allotted annual Hemavathi water
4685 hectares
Combined area of lakes in Tumakuru
11
Lakes playing major roles:
Bugudanahalli, Bheemasandra, Hosahalli, Melekote,
Gangasandra, Devarayanapatna, Amanikere,
Hebbaka, Mydala, Mallasandra and Maralur lakes
Fullness of Tumakuru’s lakes
(Source: MID, 2019-20)
Continuous Pressurised Piped Water Supply
AMRUT
Project initiated under this scheme
2016-2021
Expected duration of project
Rs. 258 crores
Projected cost at completion
4685 hectares
Lakes in Tumakuru city
2 WTPs
Bugudanahalli and P N Palya
24/7
Water supply goal for Tumakuru
54 MLD
Amount of water required daily
60 sq km
Area covered by the network
50%
Half the city is connected
3-4 hours
Daily supply frequency
38,005
Total connections in the city
1400
Public stand posts for water
WTPs
(Bugudanahalli,P N Palya)
Underground
pipeline
networks
Households
(no storage nstructures required)
Increasing
block
tariffs
There are three types of connections in the city, totally
numbering 38,005 connections:
1. Domestic
2. Non-domestic
3. Commercial
The city also provides 1400 stand posts for public use.
The Hemavathi Canal provides water to Tumakuru which
is stored in the city’s various lakes. These lakes need to
be developed for the safe and convenient storage of water
A new pumping station has been constructed under the ambit of the AMRUT scheme, adjacent to the current older one. The goal is to provide a 24/7 continuous pressurised system of water to the entire city. The TMC (Tumakuru Municipal Corporation) fixes the charges for usage, with smart metering also enabled in two pilot areas – Gandhinagar and CSI layout.
Rainwater Harvesting (RWH)
TMC has made RWH mandatory for all buildings since 2017, yet there have been no significant audits after the ordinance. The Smart City Limited of Tumakuru has seen an investment of Rs. 5 crores thus far, with 20 public buildings being equipped with RWH measures. The rooftops are paved and the collected water is filtered and let into recharge pits for groundwater recharge.
Open Wells
An open well is a hole in the ground that allows access to underground stores of water. Open wells are used to extract water typically found in unconfined shallow aquifers, i.e., soil or rock layers at shallow depths in which the water present is not held under any pressure. Shallow aquifers receive water when rain or other surface water percolates down in a process called recharge, which enhances their water levels.
There are many open wells functioning in Tumakuru City. Open wells are usually found in the influence zones of lakes. About 60 open wells were found in Tumakuru City with 40 open wells in Kyathsandra town alone populated via satellite imagery, with most of them found to be perennial in nature. Some households have not taken municipal water supply connections and depend significantly on these wells.
Groundwater contamination by sewage makes the water unfit for drinking in many areas. The drilling of borewells has also contributed to poor maintenance of open wells
Lakes
Lakes are large water bodies surrounded by land. Most lakes in Tumakuru were originally rain-fed, receiving rain and other surface water from their catchment areas. Some lakes are also contaminated by industrial effluents, treated/untreated sewage, stormwater drains etc. There are two kinds of lakes – an open lake is one in which water can flow out through outlets, whereas a closed lake is one where water leaves only by evaporation. Lakes could be either natural or man-made (man-made lakes are also known as ‘tanks’).
