Not many know that more than a centuries old drinking water pipe is still used in Bengaluru.
The first scientifically designed pipeline dates back to 1896. Laid during the colonial era and commissioned by the Maharajas of Mysore, the pipeline covers about 20 kilometers and connects Hesaraghatta with some central parts of Bengaluru.
In fact, Bengaluru has three pipelines that connect to the wider rural area: the Hesaraghatta Pipeline (1890s), the TG Halli Pipeline (1929-33), and the Cauvery Pipeline (1970s).
A current research study on old water pipes by the researchers Sudhira HS, Prof. Vanesa Castan Broto and Hita Unnikrishnan has brought some interesting facts to light.
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Sudhira came up with the idea of studying the water pipes of Bengaluru as a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science and stumbled across the “Pipeline Road” in Malleswaram.
“It was fascinating to notice a road called the Pipeline that crosses the northwestern part of the city. I wanted to dig deeper and understand the background and story, ”he says.
The beginning
He says that in the 1870s the city felt a need for “well-developed infrastructure” to draw water and meet the needs of three lakhs.
After realizing that the water from the Halasur, Shoolay and Pudupacherry tanks would not be enough to meet the growing needs of the civil and military stations, the colonial administration commissioned the tank chain known as Miller’s Tank in the former canton in 1873.
The city’s residents were dependent on the old Karanji System (a system for supplying water to forts from the Dharmambudhi and Sampangi tanks), supplemented by the water from the kalyanis and wells. However, the great famine of 1875-77 and the absence of the monsoon caused all tanks in the city and in the district to dry up.
Natural disasters, coupled with growing demand, finally led to the commissioning of the Chamarajendra Water Works in 1894, which changed both the water and urban history of Bengaluru.
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“Sir K Seshadri Iyer, then Dewan of Mysore, stated in 1892 the need to increase Bangalore’s water supply. In 1894 it was decided to draw water from Hesaraghatta across the Arkavathy and the project was named ‘Chamarajendra Water Works’. The aim was to supply a population of 2.5 lakhs with 55 liters per capita per day, ”he emphasizes.
The first modern pipeline of iron pipe was laid to bring the waters of the Arkavathy River to areas in and around the High Grounds site.
“Today this pipeline can be traced back to the Hesaraghatta Tank, which crosses the central Malleswaram district, the northern quarters and the sprawling suburbs across the various administrative boundaries. Along its route, the pipeline is integrated into the urban fabric in such a way that the city’s urban development history becomes visible, ”says Sudhir.
A brick canal that leads from the Hesaraghatta reservoir to Tarabanahalli and Soladevanahalli, a pipeline that connects Tarabanahalli with the military-ruled regions of the city, and a pipeline from Soladevanahalli to the capital Bengaluru via the “Combined Jewell Filters” (built by Jewell Filtration Company) – all of which at one point met Bengaluru’s water needs.
Second pipeline
Two decades after the first pipeline went into operation, the Mysore government set up a committee in 1926 to examine whether building Bangalore’s water supply system would be a solution to the growing water crisis.
The committee looked at new sources that can deliver 6.9 million gallons of water per day. It was looking at the Mutkur tank (under the Hosakote tank), the Hosakote tank, the Yellamallappa Chetty tank, the Vrishabhavathi valley, and the Arkavathi valley. It eventually chose the Arkavathi Valley as its capable source.
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Thippagondanahalli was selected to build a dam considering cost and storage depth. It has been estimated that a full reservoir will provide 6 million gallons of water per day with no inflow for 31 years.
The distance from the Combined Jewel Filters was 17 miles. Then the second large water pipe was laid.
This network began with the water supply of the areas off today’s Magadi Road, Vijayanagar and the surrounding area. “Although the Combined Jewelers Filters are not in operation today, they remain a symbol of the city’s water history and development,” he says.
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