Cauvery Aarti is fine, but Bengaluru needs action beyond symbolism to quench its thirst

Cauvery aarti at Sankey Tank, in Bengaluru on March 21, 2025. The aarti also included a lighting display, a laser show and live orchestra performances.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

A day before World Water Day, that is observed on March 22, the Karnataka government held Cauvery Aarti at Sankey Tank in Bengaluru, Malleswaram, drawing parallels to the famed Ganga Aarti in Varanasi. In fact, priests from the pilgrim city in Uttar Pradesh were brought for this special event. The authorities said that this first-of-its kind event near a city’ tank was aimed at deepening the community’s connection to the river and highlight the importance of water conservation.

This theme of water conservation does indeed resonate in an ever-growing city that is desperately trying to meet its water needs with limited resources.

In the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the ceremony featured various cultural and religious components, traditional puja rituals, elaborate lighting displays, and a live orchestra on a floating stage. The Cauvery waters from Bhagamandala, a pilgrim centre, were distributed as prasada to attendees. Mr. Shivakumar himself went to Bhagamandala to offer prayers before the event at Sankey Tank. All across India, including Karnataka, offering prayers to water bodies is a common ritual.

The event at the Sankey Tank drew significant attention, with over 10,000 turning up to watch the spectacle.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during the Cauvery Aarati.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K

Tank’s significance

According to the State government and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials, Sankey Tank was chosen as the venue due to its historical and religious significance, believed to be the birthplace of Vrishabhavathi, a tributary of the Cauvery. However, the event faced legal scrutiny due to environmental concerns. A petition was filed seeking to halt the aarti, but the Karnataka High Court declined to intervene, directing the state government and civic authorities to adhere strictly to legal provisions governing activities in water bodies. 

The Cauvery Aarti served as a platform to recognise the river’s vital role in Bengaluru’s water supply, providing approximately 70% of the city’s daily water needs. The government’s contentious and ambitious Mekedatu project is aimed at harnessing more water from Cauvery. It is a multipurpose project involving the construction of a balancing reservoir over the river, to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas, totalling 4.75 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water, thereby lessening dependence on groundwater. But the project is hanging fire with riparian state Tamil Nadu raising objections.

KPCC President D.K .Shivakumar took a ‘holy dip’ in Cauvery water during the inauguration of the 10-day ‘padaytra’ from Mekedatu to Bengaluru to demand the implementation of the Mekedatu project on Jan. 2022.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

Future needs

With water scarcity becoming only more acute every summer and the ability of Cauvery to provide water being finite even with more projects in the anvil, conservation experts and Bengalurians say that the government should do something beyond symbolism to promote water conservation.

Speaking to The Hindu, Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB, said that by 2028, Bengaluru’s population is projected to reach 176.61 lakh, with a water demand of 45.15 tmc ft (3,497 MLD), while the available supply will fall short by 16.38 tmc ft (1,262 MLD). “By 2051, the population will soar to 300.8 lakh, driving the water demand to 76.8 tmc ft (5,956 MLD), with a massive shortfall of 48 tmc ft (3,721 MLD). With groundwater already overexploited, urgent and sustainable water management measures are crucial for the city’s future. Various conservation methods are being implemented to bridge the gap, and the Cauvery Aarti was an initiative aimed at launching these efforts,” he added. 

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited Talakaveri, the birthplace of Cauvery River on March 21, 2025, on the occasion of World Water Day.
| Photo Credit:
HANDOUT E MAIL

“While cultural events like the Cauvery Aarti are a nice gesture, they do not solve Bengaluru’s real water crisis. We are struggling with severe shortages even in the older and developed areas more frequently these days. Many new areas rely on expensive private tankers on a daily basis. Instead of grand ceremonies, the government should focus on real solutions like improving rainwater harvesting, fixing leaking pipelines, reviving lakes, and ensuring sustainable water management. Prayers alone will not fill our taps. We need more action,“ said Deepak G., a resident of Malleswaram who lives close to Sankey Tank.

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy took part in Gangarathi during the Janata Jaladare programme organized by the JDS party at Nelamangala in Bengaluru in May 2022.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu

Taking care of river

Water conservationist and urban planner Vishwanath S., said, “It is a good thing that we remind ourselves that every one of the taps that has BWSSB water flowing is the Cauvery flowing into our homes. There are more people dependent on Cauvery in Bengaluru than any other place in the entire Cauvery Basin. Therefore, we must remember to take care of the river Cauvery from the place of origin to the sea,” he said. 

The Cauvery Aarti is a great move, said Vishwanath, but advised that the State must set up an institution for the protection of the entire river basin. “The institution must track the catchment of the Cauvery in Karnataka. If possible, this institution must be located within the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre. The government must make sure there is no sand mining, and the river flows with high quantity and quality water,” Vishwanath added.