The Bangalore Water Index

What is the Bangalore Water Index?

The Bangalore Water Index project aims to develop a means of quantifying the 'water health' of the city. This published index will track a judiciously selected set of parameters relevant to the water domain, using data released by government bodies like the BWSSB, technical information provided by NGOs and research institutions, information extracted through RTIs, as well as crowdsourced feedback from citizens.

Over a period of time, the index will draw a comparative picture of the quality, quantity, accessibility and reliability of water supply across various demographics and parts of the city, as well the responsiveness and effectiveness of government bodies in charge.


Why do we need a Water Index?

If recent reports in the media are anything to go by, Bangalore is knee-deep in water issues. Because the problem is so broad and systemic, most of us have only a tenuous grasp over the totality of Bangalore's water situation. Without clear, consolidated data that takes different perspectives into account, it is difficult to define the full dimension of the city's water problem, and then propose effective solutions.

The Bangalore Water Index project is a step towards doing precisely that. The baseline Water Index number itself doesn't 'mean' anything. But over a period of time, the water index becomes an easy to grasp, meaningful representation of the city's water health, that can be used to identify key areas of concern and spark informed debate. As a tool to bring in accountability, it can reveal areas where responsible government bodies haven't achieved prescribed/expected standards of service. When conducted periodically, the Water Index can track changes in critical parameters to reveal the impact of programs and policies introduced by the government. Findings can then be used to identify specific issues that need to be addressed, and fuel focused advocacy efforts for reform.

A water index is also an effective way to ensure that citizen concerns find their way to the government. Most citizen complaints are anecdotal, and are typically lost in a sea of 'public noise'. Credible, objective, evidential data is much more impactful than anecdotal information. As a tool to enable citizen engagement, a water index can provide clear, real-time feedback that can be used by government officals to work towards immediate and effective remedy.


What outcomes do we seek as a result of the water index?

• Clarity. Identification of key concern areas.
• Increased citizen awareness and engagement. Empowered citizens, who act as watchdogs to monitor effectiveness of government policy.
• Increase in government accountability and responsiveness. Increase in openness, collaboration with stakeholders, trust.
• Focused analysis and advocacy.
• More effective water solutions.

Let's get the obvious out of the way - this is definitely going to be a challenging, involved effort. However, as a starting point for civic education, engagement, informed debate and analysis, the Bangalore Water Index has the potential to be enormously powerful and relevant.

Interested folks - hop on board!