S Vishwanath

Vishwanath Srikantaiah's work focuses on innovative water management solutions, blending cultural understanding with engineering expertise. His approach involves diverse water source utilization, groundwater replenishment, and collaboration with traditional well diggers, leading to significant advances in urban and rural water productivity. His efforts have resulted in the creation of new shallow wells and a model replicated across 500 cities. Vishwanath also plays a key role in national initiatives addressing water and sanitation, emphasizing sustainable practices and community empowerment. His work marks a critical shift towards sustainable water management in India.

Vishwanath's work in India showcases innovative solutions in water management, blending cultural understanding with engineering expertise. He has significantly advanced both urban and rural water productivity.

In urban areas, Vishwanath's approach includes tapping into diverse water sources, minimizing water use, and replenishing groundwater through shallow aquifers. This method resulted in groundwater banks, crucial in water-scarce regions. His notable project in Bangalore involved collaborating with traditional well diggers to recharge the city’s aquifers. This effort led to the creation of 150,000 new shallow wells, offering a practical solution for urban water management. This model is now replicated in 500 cities across India. In rural settings, Vishwanath addresses water and sanitation issues, collaborating with farmers. He promotes using treated sewage water for agriculture, a significant move as agriculture consumes 80% of India's freshwater. He also played a vital role in forming the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage (Amendment) Act, 2009, mandating rainwater harvesting for households in Bangalore. This law marks a shift towards sustainable water practices at the policy level.

Vishwanath's work also involves empowering women at the community level to solve local water problems, ensuring solutions meet specific community needs. He is actively involved in a government program to provide piped water connections to every citizen and a national initiative to build toilets. He is focusing on the National Wastewater policy to formalize wastewater use and promote sustainable water practices among farmers. His work is crucial for shaping a sustainable water future in India. His approach combines local knowledge with innovative practices and can serve as a model for global water management.

Vishwanath's success in India's water management is his ability to unite various stakeholders towards the common goal of water conservation and rainwater harvesting. His strategy involves more than technical solutions; it creates a collaborative network of city bodies, municipal and private water providers, communities, and public institutions. His mission is to create equity and equality around water, enabling everyone to access clean and safe water. Vishwanath's innovation lies not just in technical aspects of water conservation but in orchestrating a network of diverse stakeholders. Each party contributes to and benefits from the system: city and municipal bodies provide support, private stakeholders offer resources, and communities contribute local knowledge and participation.

India has experienced rapid urbanization in the last two decades, presenting significant challenges in water and sanitation provision. Municipal institutions responsible for these services are struggling, mainly due to inadequate infrastructure, technologies, and a lack of effective urban planning and policies. Two primary causes for the decline in water availability per capita in India are the growing demand for water and the rising population.

Agriculture remains the largest water consumer, but industrial water demand is increasing rapidly. Karnataka, especially, is a drought-prone region in Southern India, second only to Rajasthan in terms of drought-prone areas. Bangalore, for instance, sources most of its drinking water from a distance of 95 km and a depth of 500 meters. In such contexts, it is ecologically and financially prudent not to waste rainwater, a natural resource abundantly available on rooftops. The overuse and pollution of groundwater sources are concerning issues. Borewells are either becoming silted, running dry, or drawing polluted water. Relying on privately purchased water from tankers is neither reliable in quality nor cost-effective. Despite India receiving adequate rainfall overall, there are extensive drought-prone regions and places where groundwater quality is poor. In these areas, rainwater harvesting can be a critical source of water for survival and beyond.

A study by the Centre for Science and Environment highlights that 48 percent of urban water supply in India is groundwater-based. In seven of India’s ten most populous cities, groundwater levels have significantly declined in the past two decades. Frequent droughts and rapid urbanization, which leads to extensive concretization, exacerbate the stress on groundwater recharge. According to the Central Ground Water Board (2017), 256 of 700 districts in India have 'critical' or 'over-exploited' groundwater levels. A report by NITI Aayog indicates that nearly 70 percent of India's water is contaminated, affecting three-quarters of the population. The lack of access to water or clean drinking water, a fundamental right, is affected by issues of caste and class, which hinder the development of a common language for infrastructure planning and inclusivity.

Direct investments in small, locally based NGOs focusing on water issues advocacy and organizing, such as Vishwanath's collaboration with Ashoka Fellow, Meera K, who launched Citizen Matters, can be impactful. It will require a 20-year continuous focus by the citizen sector to establish domestic wastewater treatment and re-use standards and procedures for India's 4400 cities. Local implementation and focus are crucial. The absence of water not only affects community livelihoods but also contributes to economic decline. Rainwater harvesting emerges as a scalable, affordable, sustainable, and easily implementable solution to water issues. It is an effective method for restoring diminishing groundwater levels. With climate change impacts growing, water-related challenges will only increase. Creating sustainable infrastructure now can help avoid future climate-related tensions.

In 2006, Vishwanath gathered a group committed to addressing the escalating water crisis, leading to the creation of the Rainwater Club in Bangalore, India. The next year, he established the Biome Environmental Trust, dedicating it to comprehensive solutions in water management, land use, energy, and sanitation. His method involves collaborating with communities, civic organizations, and governments and is based on four key strategies.

Firstly, Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is employed to ensure water supply, reduce dependence on piped and bore well water, and alleviate monsoon flooding. Secondly, Vishwanath advocates for decentralized wastewater treatment (DEWAT) systems, allowing for the treatment and reuse of household wastewater and sewage. Thirdly, he undertakes water audits to promote sustainable water use, influence Karnataka's water policy, and engage in groundwater management through participatory aquifer mapping. Finally, Biome collaborates with local authorities, academics, and medical professionals to implement Sanitation Safety Plans, aligning with WHO guidelines for safely using wastewater and gray water in agriculture.

Vishwanath's strategies are rooted in social sustainability principles, addressing systemic inequalities and incorporating technological solutions that are economically viable, geographically adaptable, institutionally supported, ecologically sustainable, financially feasible, and legally compliant.

The process begins with an in-depth analysis of an area's statistics and demographics to determine the required capacity for rainwater tanks, constructed through fundraising or contracts. Evaluations, often conducted locally, ensure accountability and lasting change. If deficiencies are identified, design modifications are made. Biome's community-centric approach emphasizes educating people about the technology, fostering long-term behavioral change and efficient resource use. This empowers local leadership, particularly in marginalized communities, and advances women's empowerment by reducing their water collection time and promoting their leadership in managing rainwater harvesting systems.

The Million Wells program, a key initiative by Vishwanath, focuses on revitalizing old wells and supporting traditional well-digging communities. This program reduces operational costs, provides employment, and improves community water management. The methodology includes concept testing, application, identifying and rectifying shortcomings, and widely sharing successful designs and technologies through platforms like The Water Portal and Open Wells of India and the World. The project aims to significantly reduce Bangalore’s reliance on borewell water by constructing a million wells, addressing water scarcity and promoting sustainable water management.

To ensure sustainability, Biome maintains minimal overhead costs. The organization aims to scale its impact by fostering a community of advocates to replicate, interact, and share ideas, influencing policy reform at various government levels and nurturing the next generation of public sector change-makers. Collaborations between environmentalists, governments, and stakeholders are vital for the success of these interventions. Vishwanath's influence on several key policies includes the Rainwater Harvesting Policy in Bangalore, the Wastewater Policy in Bangalore, and the National and State Wastewater Policy Framework. Vishwanath’s credibility is reinforced by his position on the governing board of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), allowing him direct participation in state water management decision-making.

Shifting focus to wastewater use, Vishwanath transforms grey water into reusable resources and drives efforts to clean water bodies. Collaborating with the national government on the Water Tap for All program, he addresses the anticipated increase in water system strain and wastewater generation. During the pandemic, Biome's collaboration with the sewage department for SARS virus variant testing in wastewater highlighted the intersection of water management and public health.

Corporate investments in these technologies are seen as both charitable and strategic, aligning with Vishwanath's approach of integrating environmental sustainability with economic viability. Furthermore, Biome is exploring geo-monitoring to adapt to changing climate patterns and optimize rainwater use.

Vishwanath's future expansion plans involve training other organizations in sustainable water management, including collaborations with AquaDam and the Urban Water Forum, and direct training for Karnataka Government personnel and traditional well diggers. Central to Vishwanath's philosophy is the belief that water is an instrument for equality, advocating for equitable access for all. His approach transforms community perspectives on water management into a movement of sustainability, collective action, and education.

Vishwanath's perspective on global issues and solutions was shaped from an early age. His education at an international school, a rarity at that time, and his extensive travels across India due to his father's job, provided him with a unique understanding of both urban and rural perspectives. Encouraged by his parents, he developed a passion for reading, which opened his eyes to global issues and solutions in an era before the internet. His interest in hydrology and engineering was further nurtured by proactive teachers and professors, setting the foundation for his future career.

Vishwanath's professional journey in the social sector began at the Center for Applied Rural Technology. There, he explored the impact of alternative technologies and gained valuable insights into the workings of non-profit organizations. This experience was crucial in shaping his understanding of the social sector. He then served for thirteen years as a director at the Arghyam Foundation, an organization committed to ensuring safe and sustainable water for all of India. His time at Arghyam was instrumental in deepening his understanding of the challenges in the water sector, especially the issues of working in silos and the underutilization of rainwater.

At Arghyam, Vishwanath observed that various entities involved in water management often operated independently, leading to inefficiencies and lost opportunities for collaboration. This lack of synergy among different organizations and sectors posed a significant challenge to developing comprehensive and sustainable water solutions. He also identified a critical gap in water management strategies: the underutilization of rainwater harvesting. Despite its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, rainwater harvesting was not being fully exploited, particularly in regions facing water scarcity.

To address these challenges, Vishwanath championed the cause of fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the water sector. His goal was to create a more integrated and effective approach to water management. He strongly advocated for the widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting as a vital strategy to combat water scarcity and reduce reliance on diminishing groundwater resources. His efforts at Arghyam were focused on promoting these practices at both the policy level and in practical, on-the-ground applications.

Vishwanath's work aimed to transform the approach to water management from isolated efforts to a cohesive, community-driven model. He believed that by bringing together the strengths of various players in the field and harnessing the potential of rainwater, it was possible to develop more resilient and sustainable water systems.

Vishwanath became a founding member of the Rainwater Club, which later evolved into the Biome Trust. Over the past two decades, he has emerged as a leading advocate for holistic change in Karnataka. His approach is not just about working in isolation but about integrating efforts from the government, society, and the market economy. This philosophy is evident in the structure, interventions, and impact of his organization, reflecting his commitment to creating a sustainable and inclusive water management ecosystem.