Best of the Week | Bangalore’s worst water woes: ‘Let them drink beer’?
An expert reasons that it is to do with the draining of two major lakes on the city’s eastern side — Varthur and Bellandur — that have kept the city’s underground aquifers underfed. Bangalore and its surroundings are a rainwater-fed civilisation. The nearest river, the Cauvery, is about 100 kilometres away, and can only meet the city’s water needs partially.
Otherwise, water supply and management is a function of rainfall and groundwater. ~ India is one of the world’s most ‘water-stressed’ countries. What’s happening in Bangalore this summer is merely a symptom of a larger fresh water crisis across India’s towns and cities.
My colleagues in Mint’s data team give us a broader reality check with this series of charts on various vectors of water and its availability. This includes groundwater exploitation in each district, water purity, water demand by purpose (or use) and levels in wells. What might the future of farming look like? What does the present feature with regards to using cutting edge technology for farm work? Drone farming seems to have become economically viable in parts of northern India.
Mint’s agriculture expert Sayantan Bera takes a deep dive into the costs and benefits (and risks) of using drones to spray various compounds on fields. Read this piece for an overview of the swift changes in India’s agritech landscape. Electoral Bonds made big news this past week.
The Supreme Court of India made a landmark ruling last month in which the scheme was declared unconstitutional. The apex court followed up with the State Bank of India and asked it to release all the data to the public forthwith. Megha Engineering (a Hyderabad-based infrastructure group), Future Gaming and Hotel Services (owned by lottery
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