The lost river of Bengaluru - Vrishabhavati River

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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PORTFOLIO

X “A” 1DS16AT039 PRAKRUTH YADALAM

CONTENTS

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“The lost river of Bengaluru” Executive summary Introduction History Origin Identifying flow patterns Visuals of the river Stakeholders say Lokayukta report summary Encounter study River centric urban planning Case study Site selection Site zoning

X “A” 1DS16AT039 PRAKRUTH YADALAM

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “The lost river of Bengaluru - Vrishabhavathi nadi” is a sincere attempt to understand the river in its totality and dwell into the various layers, sublayers and complexities attached with the river. At a time when rapid urbanisation and excessive growth has overshadowed the softer aspects such as public health, liveability, natural ecosystems and more, this project tends to revisit and understand the history, origin, stories, flow patterns and present day issues associated with the Vrishabhavathi river. A transition from being a source of freshwater right in the heart of the city to a sewage drain, the Vrishabhavathi river has been exploited and killed over the years.

“There are more than 30 PHD’s stating the problem with the river but not one that talks about solutions” says Mr Stanley, from Good Earth. In this project, we look at the river in a rather unique and multidisciplinary lens of an architect and a policy maker. One of the main takeaways from this project is studying the encounters of the river with the urban context at various locations in the city.

This project is not a treasure chest of solutions, but a first step towards understanding the bigger underlying problems we face as a city. Bengaluru city is far from recognising and reviving the old treasures of the city but it’s high time we embark on the journey.

INTRODUCTION The city of Bengaluru was known for its lush greenery and moderate climate throughout the year. This also led to the city being called “The garden city”, “Bendakaluru”, “ City of heroes” and more. Rapid urbanisation and unplanned development over the years has led to the degradation of these names as well as the true nature of the city. The population has increased from 4.3 Million (Bangalore city in 2001) to 8.4 Million (in 2011, Greater Bangalore) and the population density has increased from 7880 persons per square kilometre to over 11330 persons per square kilometre. Urbanisation during 1973 to 2017 (1028% concretization or increase of paved surface) has a telling influence on the natural resources such as decline in green spaces (88% decline in vegetation), wetlands (79% decline), higher air pollutants and sharp decline in groundwater table. This has had a severe effect on the water management and natural flow patterns of streams and lakes in the city.

One such natural ecosystem which has been deeply impacted and virtually non existent today is the Vrishabhavathi river.

http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/water/paper/ETR122/vrishabhavathi.html

The natural topography and ridge line of Bengaluru city divides the city into 3 valleys; the Hebbal valley on the north, Koramangala challaghatta valley to the south east and Vrishabhavathi valley to the south west.

The Vrishabhavathi river is one such river that belongs to the Vrishabhavathi valley. One particular stream of this river originates in the heart of Bengaluru city, at the Big Bull Temple in Basavanagudi. This makes it the only river that the city can proudly acclaim as its own. A journey through the history of the river and the present day condition will showcase the harsh realities and the real progress we have made as a city.

HISTORY The story of any river is understood well by relating it to constants like built structure, forts, temples or hills. This way the changes in the river can be easily identified by keeping the above constants as reference. One such major reference point for the Vrishabhavathi river is the Gali Anjaneya temple, located on mysore road on the banks of the river. This temple is a living example to unearth and expose the brutal decay and death of the vibrant Vrishabhavathi.

The Gali Anjaneya temple is said to be built on an island on the Vrishabhavathi river in 1452 by Sri Vyasa Raja who was enamored by the grandeur and importance of the river. The complete surroundings of the temple had a serene and still atmosphere filled with lush greenery and a fresh riverine. In hindu temples, it is a common practice to draw water from the nearest river or well and use it for the daily rituals and needs of the temple. The same water was also consumed by the devotees as prasad. A priest recalls that the water was last drawn from the river in 1975. The river used to often flood during the monsoon seasons and this was considered auspicious by the priests and general public as it meant bountiful produce for the crops sown that year. The present day scenario is different; the priests and temple management pray that such floods never occur again, reason being the condition of the river.

https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/oct-nov-dec-2020/bathing-the-gods-in-bottled-water/

Water from the river which was considered fit for direct consumption and used for the most sacred activities showcases the relationship people had with nature and the natural resources. All of this changed post rapid colonisation and urbanisation of the city post independence. Bengaluru became a hub of scientific and technological advancement which attracted companies as well as migrant population. As the strain on the city’s resources and systems increased, the process of concretisation also increased to facilitate better roads, drains and sewers. The local corporation without second thoughts started diverting many of the sewer lines directly to the river. The present tributaries of the river are concretised and are nothing less than a sewer in sight and smell.

The banks of the river which supported lush vegetation now houses one of the busiest roads of the city and also houses a flyover.

ORIGIN

IDENTIFYING FLOW PATTERNS

VB valley marked on old Bengaluru map of 1935

VB river mapped from origin till Byramangala Byramangala reservoir VB river post Byramangala reservoir Confluence point of VB river and Arkavathy river

Water shed map of Bengaluru indicating the water channels, STPs, drainage channels that are present in the Vrishabhavathi valley. It is evident from the 1935 map and recent map of Bengaluru that urban development has impacted and degraded the water systems and bodies that were present.

Interactive river map of Vrishabhavathi river https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/maps/asia/largeimage136701.html http://cdn.cseindia.org/userfiles/bangaluru_portrait.pdf

IDENTIFYING FLOW PATTERNS

The Vrishabhavathi valley consists of two main lake networks, the Madavara lake series and the Byramangala lake series. In a natural setting, the topography of the city facilitates water movement through these lakes. Each upstream lake overflows into a downstream lake, The channel connected different lakes are either rajakaluves or storm water drains. With urbanisation and rapid erection of buildings, many of these networks have vanished. This means that inflow to various lakes have been cut off which has resulted in drying of lakes which eventually gets converted into a high rise apartment. This is also a primary reason why many areas flood during monsoon, as the rain water has no channel to exit as all of them are either concretised or converetd into buildings.

https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/maps/asia/largeimage136701.html http://cdn.cseindia.org/userfiles/bangaluru_portrait.pdf

IDENTIFYING FLOW PATTERNS

Population density dynamics in the Vrishabhavathi Valley

The above map shows the status of STPs on the VB valley. Dr T.V.Ramachandra’s report talks exclusively on the status of existing STPs, their capacities and ideal locations for new STPs. The issue of STPs has to be dealt both in micro as well as macro level. Site specific and zone specific STPs help to minimise pollution at the source, but calls for huge capital costs; whereas macro STPs with greater load capacity at ideal locations along the river helps maintain the overall quality of water which can be operated by the government.

Ward wise population dynamics in the Vrishabhavathi Valley

Sewage generated (MLD) – catchment wise

Water Demand (MLD) – ward and catchment wise http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/water/paper/ETR122/vrishabhavathi.html

VISUALS OF THE RIVER

View of the river at Malleshwaram downstream from Nandi Teertha

View of the river behind Good earth campus, Mysore road

View of the river at Malleshwaram downstream from Nandi Teertha

VISUALS OF THE RIVER

BYRAMANGALA RESERVOIR

VISUALS OF THE RIVER

Elevated roadways at the confluence point; Gali Anjaneya temple

View of the Vrishabhavtathi flowing past Mysore road with piles of garbage on its banks

View of the Vrishabhavtathi flowing below the flyover next to Gali Ajaneya temple

STAKEHOLDER’S MEET Mr Stanley 03-02-2021

11:30 am

Good Earth office

Intent: To hear and extract his experience and relationship with the vrishabhavathi river Background: Mr Stanley George is the Co-Founder and Managing director of Good Earth.

He is a civil engineer by profession but his passion for environment and water is boundless. He advocates on field and live experience when it comes building and design. Through his journey, he has developed a special relationship with soil and living organisms. He bats for true sustainability in design. His relationship with the Vrishabhavathi river goes back a long time.

Summary of the conversation: Mr Stanley began by by stating that “ There are 30 PhD’s on the problem but one on solution” . With this he clearly meant to say that there has been a lot of talk on what is causing pollution to the river and a massive blame game but not much focus on finding ways to solve the problem. During the entire conversation, he spoke about the bigger issues we are facing today as a society and civilisation which has a deep rooted influence on our livestyles and planning techiniques which indirectly impacts the natural resources around us.

Industries which are polluting and release toxic effluents can be mapped and relocated to a seperate zone. Each of these zones can have a CETP and the treated waste water generated from these zones can be piped to the agricultural fields. This treated waste water can be used to revive horticulture, agriculture and used to create wealth - fodder material. Domestic sewage can be treated at the source by enforcing segregation of wet and dry waste and using the resultant compost to enrich the greenary around. Lack of efficient waste management on land is resulting in the waste being dumped in the river.

He concluded the discussion by sharing his thoughts on lake management, water and natural organisms. In the present time, any dried up lake becomes a hotspot for highrise construction.

But he spoke how dry lakes are more important than water filled lakes. During summer, rodents make the soil porous enabling more water retention and more water inflow during the rains.

He mentioned how we have totally missed understanding the monsoon cycle and blocked all ways for water to exit. With respect to cities, he spoke about 3 questions we need to ask; how much rainfall do we get? How much water do we need? How much water do we use?

He cited an example of Tumkur, which has seen a rise in ground water. 1acre of paddy consumes close to 90 lakh lts of water. He mentioned that evaporation losses in agriculture are massive and we need to relook into our practices. He mentioned how presence of weeds in river banks indicate mineral depletion. Rodents aerate the soil which leads to retention of more nutrients.

Termites break down the nutrients. Butterfly droppings are rich in calcium and good for plants

He spoke greatly about the need for public investment in solving the problems of industries and reviving the river. He also mentioned how Bengaluru lacks a geo based mapping of the lakes and rajakaluves. Over concretisation has resulted in more hard surfaces which has reduced water percolation into the ground. This has resulted in frequent flooding of roads and low lying areas during monsoons. Bad water management leads to both droughts and floods. There is dire need to analyse the flood patterns of the city and study how much water can be held on the land through lakes and rajakaluves.

He spoke about the imporatnt role trees play in holding water and making the soil porous. Aquifer recharge through borewell is the best way to refil the ground water table. Along with mapping of watersheds, design and treatment of the ecology and surrounding spaces of the watershed is required. The design has to be holistic in nature.

STAKEHOLDER’S MEET

Mr Satyanarayan

Mr Ram Prasad 15-02-2021 02-02-2021

06:00 pm

02:00 pm Intent: To extract more information about the recent fire on the river ( fire was seen on 08-02-2021)

Intent: To hear and extract his experience and relationship with the vrishabhavathi river Background: Mr Ram Prasad is the Co-Founder of Friends of Lakes, a voluntary organisation that works with lakes. He has played a huge role in identifying and cleaning up of many lakes in Bengaluru city. He is also playing a major role in spreading awareness about lakes and the importance it holds in our ecosystem.

Summary of the conversation: What is the Vrishabhavathi River?

A: Vrishabhavthi river is an ancient river that originates from the heart of the city and flows outwards. The river originates from 2 sources, one being the nandi teertha in malleshwaram and the other being the bull temple in basavanagudi. The river exits the city at Byramangala lake and joins the Arkavathy river further south. The area of the Byramangala lake is around 1200 acres.

How can we define a river?

A: River- anything that has a base flow, 100ft below the earth saturated with water. A river system behaves as a catchment area and it is important to understand the system of lakes and interlinkages that are part of a river.

What are the main sources of pollution to the river?

A: When it comes to industrial pollution, the 5 main areas contributing to this in order are Peenya( maximum effluent discharge happens from here), Yeshwantpur, Rajajinagar, Nayandahalli and Bidadi.

What role does architecture and design play in solving the problems with Vrishabhavathi river?

A: The main objective of the present storm water drain is to facilitate fast flow of water out of the city. Should this river be seen as a canal or a drain? How can architects ensure safety around the river through design features? How can the buffer zone and the channel of water be made to look beautiful? Presently 90% of the storm water drain carries sewage. How can this be prevented through design such that it carries only storm water?

Should the design of the drain or canal be open or closed? These are some of the questions that can be answered by architects.

Background: Mr Satyanarayan is a Civil Defense QRT member who was actively involved in dousing the recent fire that occured on the banks of the river. He has been an active volunteer on ground and has witnessed multiple incidents with respect to the river.

Summary of the conversation: He mentioned that there are multiple reasons that led to the fire on the river. Generally media and the public play the blame game and corner the industries for pollution and toxic chemicals discharge that cause the fire. But there are some natural elements also at play here. During summer, the banks of the river go dry leading to the growth of shrubs. During heavy rains, water overflows on the banks which nourishes the plants and soil. During harsh summers or bright sunny days, these dried shrubs catch fire due to the heat leading to smoke or fire. Other sources of fire are Beer bottles, Solid waste, Fuels, Dry shrubs, Halle gida - fruit - when breaks releases drop of oil - leads to thick white smoke - usually extract ethanol out of this fruit, Railway track nearby - heat of engine carried by flow of wind. The stretch of the river on Mysore road sees a lot of solid waste being thrown by motorists and public which also lead to fires. The only solution going forward is by educating the masses and coordination between departments.

LOKAYUKTA REPORT

Any issue in a democratic setup is not resolved just through coordination among departments or negotiations. The ultimate resort for any issue is the judiciary. Same holds good for the battle of the Vrishabhavathi river. Two stalwarts, Mr Doreswamy and Mr Sridhar Pabbisetty took their battle on river to a next level by filing a camplaint with the Lokayukta of Karnataka state. They began their battle early by visitng the river and the different lakes that are linked with the river and meeting various stakeholders to understand ways to solve the issues attached with the river. When they realised that this battle was too complex and multilayered, they filed the first complaint on 13-12-2018.

The complaint order was registered by the Lokayaukta and multiple courses of action were taken with respect to the river. The following points will summarise the series of Lokayukta reports.

Summary: 1. The BBMP boundary comprises of 800 sqkm of area out of which 245 sqkm is the core area and 225 sqkm of 110 villages.

2. The population of the city of Bengaluru is bound to increase from 10.08 M in 2016 to 20.96M in 2050.

3. The BWSSB supplies 1800 MLD (millions of lts per day) out of which 1400MLD is utilised from teh Cauvery river and 400 MLD from the ground water.

4. The Vrishabhavathi River is one of 3 major vallies in the city 5. Vrishabhavathi forms a tributary of Cauvery river which is located in the western part of the city 6. It is the second largest watershed on catchment after the KC valley 7. It is the main source of receptor for waste water from south and west Bengaluru mainly because the topography of the catchment is well suited.

8. The catchment is equipped with partly under ground drainage system and the area which is not covered with UGD, the domestic sewage is directly getting into the valley.

9. It is estimated that 40% of the waste water generated will flow towards the Vrishabhavathi valley.

10. The BWSSB has installed 9 STPs of installed capacity of 386 MLD and at the present receiving 198.5 MLD. 11. Sewage is a main source of pollution in the valley.

12. The KPSCB during a survey in Oct- Nov 2018 closed down 241 industries and issued notices to 591 industries that are functioning along the valley

Encounter study was a mapping activity conducted along the river to understand how the river behaved and how the context interacted with the river at differetn urban settings. The main software used for this study was Google earth along with Q-GIS. Each encounter had a unique character and maps were made for the year 2000 and 2020 to observe the changes in land use patterns and loss of green cover for each of these encounters. The ultimate aim of this study is observe ground realities and develop suitable and practical policies to prevent further degradation of the river. It is always important to study and understand the natural elements to develop a sustainable coexistance between architecture and nature.

ENCOUNTER STUDY

R - 500M

E 01

Origin point

R - 1KM

Educational institution

E 04

R - 1KM

E 02

Confluence point

R - 500M

High rise / low rise residential

E 05

R - 500M

E 03

Residential setting

R - 600M

Government land

E 06

Rationale for selection: Encounter 1 covers one of the origin points of Vrishabhavthi river which acording to ancient scriptures is recognised as the Bull temple in Basavangudi. The purpose of studying this encounter is to observe, analyse and infer the change in urban characteristics, demographics, population density and built up area. It also essential to notice if the pollution to the stream of river begins at the source or further downstream.

Observations : The initial observation from the GIS maps of 2000 and 2020 indicates that not much has changed in the gap of 20 years. Basavanagudi is one of the oldest planned extensions of Bangalore city and has compact development comprising largely residential land use. A buffer distance of 500 m was marked and different land use classes like residential, commercial and public buildings were digitized using GIS. No significant presence of water body or topographic feature.

E N C O U N T E R 1

Rationale for selection: Encounter 2 was selected near the confluence point of the 2 streams of Vrishabhavathi river near Gali Anjaneya temple, Mysore road. This location has been historically recognised as the water from the river was being used by the temple. Mapping and documenting the urban changes and development over a 20 year period will showcase the events that led to the pollution of the river. It is also important to observe the changes before and after the confluence point. A buffer distance of 1km was mapped having the confluence point as the centre.

Observations : The initial observation from the GIS maps of 2000 and 2020 indicate substantial changes along the river and the main road. It is also observed that development and building lines have reached the edge of the river, sometimes encroaching the river. Post the confluence point, further south, it is seen that the entire green patch along the river has been cleared to make way for buildings. The stream coming from Basavanagudi just before joining the main stream has lost the vegetaion and green cover that existed on its banks back in 2000.

Existing land use map RMP 2015

Existing land use map RMP 2031

GIS map indicating the population density of respective wards

E N C O U N T E R 2

Rationale for selection: Encounter 3 covers a region that is a high dense residential setting. These include low income group housing, which share a common boundary with the retaining wall of the river. Few houses encroaching into the river too can be noticed here. The intent of studying this are is to observe and changes in landuse and character of urban development over the years which has impacted the river. Being a silent residential setting, it will be interesting to observe the connection people share with the river.

Observations : Post the mapping activity, it is observed that there has not been any change in landuse close to the river. The quality of water flowing in the river too remained the same over the years; polluted and foul smelling. The 1.5km stretch of the river passing through this dense setting has a good potential for upgrading it to a pedestrian friendly walkway by redesigning the water channel and storm water drain.

Existing land use map RMP 2015

Existing land use map RMP 2031

GIS map indicating the population density of respective wards

E N C O U N T E R 3

Rationale for selection: Encounter 4 has been selected close to an educational institution which covers close to 1100 acres of land, being one of largest single owned parcel of land in the city that shares its boundaries with the Vrishabhavathi river. The Bangalore University campus is a lush green campus that is located to the north of the river. The intent of studying this encounter is to observe how the existance of a vast educational institution impacts the development around which in turn impacts the river in a positive or negative way.

Observations : The initial observation from the GIS maps of 2000 and 2020 indicate massive loss of green cover along the river and Mysore road. The map of 2000 indicates a perfect green buffer that existed on either sides of the river. This natural buffer is not visible in the map of 2020 which shows massive development and buildings erected in the green areas. The changes within the university are subtle though indicating some new buildings which have occupied the green spaces. This transition from green to built up indicates the change of perception of the river in peoples mind.

Existing land use map RMP 2015

Existing land use map RMP 2031

GIS map indicating the population density of respective wards

E N C O U N T E R 4

Rationale for selection: Encounter 5 covers an area that houses low rise residential buidings on one side of the river and high rise apartment complexes on the other side. The encounter is in close proximity to the ring road and nice road junction. It will be interesting to study and observe the changes in the urban context that impacted the river.

This encounter is located further down the confluence point. This encounter, which was considered to be on the outskirts of the city, saw massive development activity in recent times. Through mapping we can observe the extent of development.

Observations : Through the mapping excercise, it is observed that the parcel of land to the east of the river saw massive development which led to the loss of huge green cover. The map of 2020 hardly has any visible patches of green. This nature of development is common in urban cities which are growing beyond their natural boundaries. Another important observation is the inception and development of the NICE road close to this encounter. One of the major reasons for such rapid development was the construction of NICE road which was known as the Bangalore Mysore expressway. It is seen in the maps that the entire green buffer along the banks of the river has vanished. It is important to have strict development policies to prevent such changes.

Google earth imagery - 2008

Google earth imagery - 2010

Google earth imagery - 2014

Google earth imagery - 2020

E N C O U N T E R 5

Rationale for selection: Encounter 6 has a unique setting, it houses a lake, a river and a vast vacant government on the banks of a river. This setting is interesting as the presence of 2 water bodies calls for 2 different sets of byelaws, but the ground reality is different. This setting also has a STP located close to the river.

Observations : Just like the other encounters, this encounter too shows massive development resulting in loss of green cover. An interesting observation is that the green along the buffer for the river and the lake are intact in the map of 2020. This is a good sign but the reason for the same is not the result of any policy or byelaw. This is majorly because much of the land along the river in this encounter is owned by the government and this encounter is on the outskirts of the city. The development of a 60 MLD BWSSB STP right next to the river and the lake was a much needed intervention suggested by various reports. The parcel of land next to the STP is a suitable land for an architectural intervention in the form of a public space .

Existing land use map RMP 2015

Existing land use map RMP 2031

GIS map indicating the population density of respective wards

E N C O U N T E R 6

Vancouver’s River Dist., Canada

Busan River City, South Korea

Qinhuangdao, China

Södertälje, Sweden, Europe

River centric Urban Planning Cheonggyecheon, Seoul, Korea

River City, Gothenburg, Sweden,

The present condition of the industries on the Vrishabhavathi valley are involved in one way discharge of effluents and waste water into the river channel. Since industries make up huge part of the VB valley due to its terrain and location, there is huge potential to bring in active policies to promote and enforce reutilisation of waste water discharged by the industries by passing through a CETP. This way we can create a sustainable water system where the industries not only discharge into the river, but can also take in the treated water for various purposes. The ultimate goal is for every industry to actively set up individual CETPs or have integrated CETPs to treat their respective discharges.

As the Vrishabhavathi river flows to many residential areas where domestic water usage is high, this system of utilising the river water for domestic purpose will reduce the stres on mainstream BWSSB lines. Domestic purposes like washing, gardening etc can be done using this treated water.

The present issue is that the VB river is an inactive channel of water and hence fails to gather any attention and lacks incentives for rejuvenation. The moment the river becomes an active body, the system of rejuvenation automatically happens.

The need of the hour, not just for the Vrishabhavathi, but for every city in general is afforestation. Urban afforestation, urban forests are modern ways of ensuring the green in the city doesnt vanish. There is high potential in the VB valley for this to happen.

Few kms post the confluence point, the river flows through mainly barren and vacant land which is home to garbage and solid waste. Converting each of these into urban forests along the river will help in reducing the carbon footprint, rebalance the lost ecosystem, reduce urban heat island effect and mainly help reclaim the tag “Garden city”

For any space to be active, people engagement is a given. Involving the public in as many zones as possible by designing necessary functions wil ultimately make the city more liveable. River front development need not always require acres pof land for development. Various countries have been succesful in converting narrow streams of water into active public spaces through design.

Same holds god for the Vrishabhavathi river. Identifying and developing multiple zones along the river should be done in a phase wise manner.

Potential zones of development for Vrishabhavathi river http://urbanrivers.niua.org/themes/contrib/corporate_blue/pdf/URMP_publication_Nov_3_lower_res.pdf

Ladder of progress for urban river projects

Vision of Urban regional master plan

http://urbanrivers.niua.org/themes/contrib/corporate_blue/pdf/URMP_publication_Nov_3_lower_res.pdf

Phase wise development plan for Vrishabhavathi