Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) in collaboration with Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association (BORDA) has initiated an Integrated Water Management (IWM) program in January 2021 in two municipalities of Karnataka, viz. Chikkaballapur and Chintamani.

An integrated water management approach views water sources, water supply, drainage and wastewater as an integrated physical system that requires appropriate planning and management to ensure that the water cycle/system can be retained for the future.

Today, towns and cities are faced with the challenge of diminishing supplies against ever-increasing demands. Increasing urbanization (increasing population and development related projects demanding more water) and climatic changes further increase the stress on water resources. In this scenario, improving wastewater management and introducing innovative, robust systems involving recycle, recharge and reuse of treated wastewater may work out to be an affordable and robust approach for use and replenishment of water resources.

Densely located populations and lack of infrastructure for proper sanitation are a major cause for environmental and water pollution problems. High rates of open defecation are strongly correlated with lower quality of drinking water and higher rates of diarrhea. One major cause of water pollution is poor sanitation, leading to contamination of surface and groundwater sources by organics, nutrients, and bacterial coliform.

The project will focus on supporting the CMC to review the current WASH infrastructure, provide technical inputs to improve the facilities and the operations, and undertake training on best practices on management and governance.