This is a visual supplement to my article:
Environmental Chicanery – Bangalore’s Shit, Tamil Nadu’s Water (https://indiachallenges.com/2017/06/06/environmental-chicanery-bangalores-shit-tamil-nadus-water/)
Journey of Bangalore Sewage from Bellandur Lake to the Bay of Bengal:
The right half of Bangalore (mustard circles) lets out approximately half the sewage of the city, which is 1000 MLD and which contains about 650 MLD of untreated sewage. This stream first collects in the Bellandur Lake and overflows into the Varthur Lake.
From here, it meanders south for about 40 Km to Kelavarapelli Reservoir. The outflow from here is designated as the “Then Pennai River”, which is also known as the “Ponnaiyar River”.
Soon after, it crosses the Karnataka – Tamil Nadu border.
The water travels to the Krishnagiri Dam, further south, which is about 60 Km from the Keleavarapelli Reservoir.
It journey’s on for another 106 Km south-east to the Sathanur Reservoir, in the heart of Tamil Nadu.
It then follows the south-easterly gradient for another 116 Km and drains into the Bay of Bengal at Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu. This part of the sewage from Bangalore thus traverses a path of about 322 Km.
Journey of Bangalore Sewage from Sankey Tank to the Bay of Bengal:
The left half of Bangalore (purple circles) again discharges about 1000 MLD of sewage and 650 MLD of untreated sewage. The birth place is near the Sankey Tank in Bangalore, which is in the uber-rich part of the city and the stream gets the privilege of being called the “Vrishabhavathi River.”
It travels south-west, along parts of the Bangalore-Mysore highway, for 34 Km and flows into the Vrishabhavathi Reservoir. When you exit Bangalore, en route to Mysore, you get a nasty stench from this river. It’s common knowledge that this is because of untreated sewage water.
It continues from the Reservoir and travels 19 Km and joins the Arkavathi River (orange circles).
From this point, it travers another 41 Km southwards and meets the great Kaveri (Cauvery) River, near the Mugguru Forest and Mekedatu.
The Kaveri literally bisects the two States. But, here is the exact point where the river crosses the two States.
It journeys on, in a south-westerly direction, into Tamil Nadu and flows into the Stanley Reservoir (Mettur Dam).
From here, the Kaveri River travels a long distance of about 220 Km and forks off at Tiruchirapalli, into two streams.
One stream splits to the top as the Kollidam River and drains into the Bay of Bengal at Chidambaram, after traveling 104 Km.
The other splits to the bottom, still as the famed Kaveri River, and travels about 107 Km, and eventually ends in the Bay of Bengal at Kaveripattanam. This part of the Bangalore sewage traverses about 421 Km.
Can we all do something so that our Bangalore sewage does not end up at these end points?
India Challenges 
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