SACRED WATERS, BENGALURU

OVERVIEW:

Water is the only natural resource to touch all aspects of human civilization right from agricultural and industrial development to cultural and religious values embedded in our society. Water has always been a driving force for health, society, economic prosperity, cultural significance, and development throughout human history which is the sole reason it is considered sacred in India. In Indian culture water is not just a commodity, but a way of life. Holy water is worshipped, celebrated, and imbibed. 

In India, Bengaluru is the third largest city situated at an elevation of 3018 feet above mean sea level. This city was once known as the city of lakes containing about 300 lakes in 1960 and today has only 80 remaining lakes most of which are ecologically dead. These lakes are under attack by real estate projects encroaching on them and leaving them foaming and frothing as toxic effluents, sewage and trash produced by industries fill into the lakes. At this alarming rate Bengaluru is set to become one of the first cities in the world to run out of water. The urgency to restore the lakes and recharge the aquifers is alarming as the city's water demand for a population of over 12 million has been insufficient in the last few decades. 

The city receives 38.19 inches of rainfall annually and needs 1900 million liters per day to meet the city’s daily fresh water demands which is equivalent to 760 Olympic size swimming pools. The city sources 60% of its fresh water from the Cauvery river which is pumped up to the city by a 1000’ at a distance of 70 miles, 30% comes from groundwater and only 10% of the rainwater received annually is harvested causing an approximate 550 million liters of water per day shortage. Today only 20% of the water from lakes can be used for drinking. 

The main problems that Bengaluru faces are:

1. Dying lakes 
2. Falling groundwater table
3. Inadequate stormwater management systems

By addressing these issues, a third of Bengaluru’s rainwater, the city’s water and flooding problems would be significantly solved. The project site is situated at the fringes of the city in Anjanapura district which serves as an entry point into the city. The site is 565 acres, with an existing lake - OB Chudanahalli and two other ponds. The site is lower in elevation than compared to the city of Bengaluru, serving as a potential catchment area. Sparse development ranging from rural inhabitants, agricultural fields, spiritual centers, resorts, and light industrial factories all connected to the primary road access - Kanakapura road.  The site favors a condition to design a prototype of how various activities in the expanding city of Bengaluru can ecologically and culturally coexist around lakes while valuing water.

DESIGN FRAMEWORK:

The aim of the project is to restore life around Bengaluru by creating rainwater reservoirs , recharging the aquifers, and providing a renewable source of water to the city and to support a thriving ecological habitat. The three big moves are collect, cultivate and celebrate 

COLLECT by reconnecting all water bodies in the watershed region as they cleanse through the terrain. 

CULTIVATE by recharging the aquifers through agricultural and stormwater management practices to increase the groundwater level. 

CELEBRATE by reconnecting people to ecology, water, and culture by creating settings for people to learn the joy of harvesting their own water. 

The proposal is testified by developments of three zones:

COLLECT ZONE: This zone is situated at the neck of the lake, where all the connected water bodies meet before converging into the lake. This zone is the collect zone aiding to help collect the rainwater into the lake, and the treatment wetlands cleanse the rain and stormwater as it runs off from the surface into the lake. The residential community, vegetated wetlands, spiritual center, market place all tie in together to bring the coexistence where both nature and people thrive. The lake of the collect zone also serves as a rainwater reservoir which in turn will be filtered to supply water for drinking and irrigation. 

CULTIVATE ZONE: This zone is situated with close proximity to the primary access into the site and the main road connected to it. This region is dominated by existing and added sustainable agricultural practices such as vedic farming, vertical farming, organic farming, mango groves, aquaponics and with activities to promote awareness on sustainable farming such as an agro tourism belt, seasonal market, recharging kunds, agro packing all promoting local fresh harvest. This cultivation zone increases the work opportunities for the people around this area and reduces the carbon miles to produce and cultivate locally, also this zone will embrace the festival lawns for the festival of Sankranti which is the celebration of the first harvest of the year. This encourages the farmers and the agriculture to celebrate at festival. 

CELEBRATE: This zone is the sacred zone. In India, places of worship since old days have been known to spread awareness and knowledge to the people. In this section which is for people to reconnect to water and culture. Dominated by the main architectural feature, the water temple. The temple forms an axis leading into the processional passage, continues into the panchayat (district council) which then expands into the Bazaar (festive market zone) terminated by the domed spiritual center at the end. A visit to a temple in Indian culture is also to gain knowledge and spread awareness. This sacred notion to spread awareness on water will unite people not only by the practices but also by the festivals celebrated together. The main water festival called Holi is celebrated at the start of spring season, where all the flowering trees in Bengaluru start to bloom in varied colors populating the streets with flower showers creating a spectacular view to experience. This festival brings together people from all ages to laugh, eat and play together through sprinkling colored water on each other representing spring. This planning of the water temple denotes the focal point of the master plan. 

SITE UNDERSTANDING: 

The site sections represent different zones throughout the site. The lowest point being the lake is situated at an elevation of 2615 feet and the highest elevation is towards the fringes of the site being 2880 feet. As you enter into the site from main access , on either side are wide parcels of tree groves and agricultural fields blended together, the structural network through the site is based on the natural topography and the free flowing landscapes designed where every parcel is accessible to water bodies and nature. The primary access leads into the mixed use and market area of the site which houses the population based on concepts of sustainable and healthy living, as you approach the mid-section of the site the lake and the buffers centrally site surrounded by proposed buffers, bird water trails, yoga parks, recreational facilities and ascends into the terrace farms. 

Through design interventions of collect, cultivate, and celebrate users experience the true sense of co-existing with nature, water, and culture where all aspects of life can thrive from living, growing, and celebrating. Water impacts the social and psychological sense of people's place making ability. Since early days, the idea of settlements developed around water and even to this day is the sole reason it is considered sacred. Sacred waters represent how every drop of water matters and how water shapes life. 

With sacred waters harvesting 70% of the rainwater received in the 565 acres of site generates 4.2 million liters per day contributing to 7.8% of south Bengaluru’s needs. This  as a prototype for the City of Bengaluru can save it from becoming one of the first cities to run out of water.